Matters of the Heart
by InfinityStar
Summary: A group of new engineers bring Scott challenges and changes he never anticipated.
1. PaperPushing Station Jockey

_**Captain's Log, Stardate 3842.9:**_

_We have arrived at Starbase 12 ahead of schedule and I have authorized some well-earned R and R for the crew while the base repair teams finish whatever Mr. Scott has been unable to repair in the past six weeks. Although I would rather have reported in here weeks earlier, the situation on Stanos II was critical and I commend the engineering section for their efforts in keeping things together in the face of such a drastic shortage of personnel. When the last of our new crewmen arrive and the repairs have been completed, we will head on to Sigma Tau VII, to assess the situation of the natives, who have been at war with one another, as near as we can figure, for the past seven hundred years.

* * *

_

McCoy and Scott walked into the starbase general recreation area and looked around the busy room. "Damn, it's crowded," McCoy muttered.

"What did you expect? There are over four hundred people down here on leave."

"I didn't expect them all to be here in this room."

Scott laughed softly. They managed to find an empty table and sat down. McCoy sighed and said, "I'll get us some drinks. I'll be right back."

The chief engineer leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He'd been working double shifts for the past six weeks to compensate for the shortage of personnel since the accident, and overwork had certainly taken its toll on him. He was particularly plagued by the absence of a seasoned officer in the position of first engineer since the death of Lt. DeSalle in that accident. The young man filling the position at the moment was hardly capable of the job and, although he tried hard, his inexperience only added to the chief engineer's burdens. He'd also lost his swing shift supervisor and thus had no one he felt capable of running the section unsupervised during that shift. So he'd taken it upon himself to work the shift rather than force it on his midshift supervisor. After all, he was less prone to exhaustion-related errors than any engineer in his section and the good Lord knew there had been enough damage lately…and enough death, he mused sadly.

Now he was to receive two dozen new engineers, which would relieve some of the pressure. They were all seasoned engineers, not raw recruits, and included among them was the officer who would assume the first engineer's position. There were only twenty-four, less than half the number he'd lost in that damn accident, but one engineer with a decent number of years' experience was worth half a dozen with little or no experience. All he knew was that he was tired and, as much as he loved his work, he would be glad to be going back to working his regular shift and actually sleeping at night.

A rather loud conversation at the table behind him caught his attention. Two men and a woman were seated at the table, arguing about the feasibility of channeling phaser power through the warp drive. One of the men was shaking his head. "No way, Fallon. You're out of your mind. The warp integration circuits weren't meant to take that kind of stress."

"So you bypass the integration circuits."

"Then you'll blow every relay in the system. The engines were not meant to have phaser power channeled through them."

"Not on a regular basis, no. But if it's done right, it's possible."

"No, it's not."

Scott turned around and looked at the three occupants of the table. The woman glanced up and met his eyes. He held her gaze. The young man turned around, curious. Scott's eyes didn't leave the woman's. Softly he said, "I couldn't help overhearing your discussion."

"Do you know anything about warp engines?" she asked.

"A little." Reluctantly, he drew his gaze from hers and met the young man's eyes. "What makes you so sure what the lassie says can't be done?'

The young man studied him. "If you really knew anything about warp engines, you wouldn't have to ask me that question."

McCoy was approaching the table and he heard that last comment. "Uh-oh."

Scott raised his eyebrows. "Is that a fact? Your friend there seems to know what she's talking about."

"Speculation, man. That's all it is. Speculation."

"Oh…" Scott nodded slowly. "I see. How long have you worked on a starship, then?"

"I spent two months on the Constellation as a midshipman. But I read a lot."

"Reading is good," Scott muttered. "Just what do you read, lad? Popular fiction?"

The young man flushed, his temper flared. "No, Orion trade magazines," he snapped. "What the hell do you think I'm talking about? Technical manuals, space jockey. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to know anything about them."

Scott calmly nodded and looked again at the woman seated at the table. Her soft chestnut brown hair flowed over her shoulders and her warm dark eyes had already captivated him. Her quiet voice was characterized by a faint accent similar to his own, though not nearly as pronounced. "And what about you, lass? Ever spend time on a starship?"

"I was a junior assistant to the chief engineer on the Excaliber for two-and-a-half years."

Scott nodded, then reluctantly trained his gaze back to the young man. "If I were you, lad, I would be certain of what I'm talking about before I went around sticking my foot in my mouth. The lass is right. Phaser power can be channeled through the warp drive, without blowing every circuit in the system, if you know what you're doing and you do it right. You'd be damn surprised what you can do with warp technology when you know what the hell you're doing."

The arrogant young man glared at the Enterprise's chief engineer. "Ever seen it done?" he challenged.

Scott met his glare steadily. "I've done it."

The young man choked. Recovering, he snapped, "Bullshit."

McCoy rolled his eyes, glad to be sitting beside Scott and not in the young man's seat at the adjoining table. He wondered if there would have been an argument at all if they had been in their uniforms instead of civilian clothes, but that was kind of a moot point. As it was it was quite obvious that the young man had no idea who he was arguing with. Scott looked at McCoy, who shrugged and pushed Scott's drink toward him with a silent plea to let the matter drop. Scott nodded reassuringly at his friend and turned back to the young hothead. "Are you still in Starfleet, lad?"

"Damn straight I am. Have you ever even laid eyes on a starship?"

Scott turned back toward McCoy and picked up his drink. The surgeon could see the dark anger beginning to brew in the engineer's eyes. "Scotty, let it go," he pleaded. He'd had his fill of patching up injured engineers lately, and Scott had been included in that number more than once over the past few weeks.

Scott nodded. He had no intention of getting into a fight. He downed his drink and got to his feet. The young man rose to meet the challenge but the other man at his table grabbed him. Scott shook his head, disgusted. "If you ever hope to get stationed on a starship, and stay there, you had damn well better grow up, lad. You need to learn when to speak, and what to say, and when to keep your mouth shut. I sure as hell hope you're a better engineer in practice than you are with theory. You may think you know a great deal, lad, but you really don't, and you severely limit what you can learn when you refuse to open your mind to what can be done instead of what already has."

The young man lunged at him, but his friend held him fast. Scott ignored him. His eyes met the woman's once more before he turned and left the room. McCoy let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. He finished his drink and rose, shaking his head. He looked over at the adjoining table and said "Well, I haven't seen a reaction like that from him in a while. Consider yourself lucky he's exhausted or he would have taken you up on your offer of a fight, and you'd be the one seeing stars, make no mistake."

The young man slowly sat back down, watching the doctor leave. His quiet friend slid back into his seat and shook his head. "Smooth move, Ray. What the hell is wrong with you? Couldn't you tell he knew what he was talking about or are you that stupid?"

"Get out of here, Carl. I'd bet a month's pay he's just a station-bound paper jockey who's read a few tech manuals and wishes he was out there with a real job on a starship."

The woman, deeply impressed by the handsome man with the dark eyes, had watched him leave and her thoughts lingered on him. "That's a bet you would lose, Ray."

She had met the two men two weeks earlier, when they arrived at the station to await the arrival of the ship they'd all been assigned to: the Enterprise. Mutual interests had hastened the formation of a fast friendship among them. The two men had been inseparable since they met at the Academy. Ray Preston was a headstrong, stubborn man of twenty-seven with a knack for getting into trouble. Mischievous gray eyes hid behind a shock of dark wavy hair and his infectious grin was seldom absent from his handsome face. Though he wouldn't yet admit it, Preston was impressed by the woman's vast engineering knowledge. He'd never met anyone who had such enthusiasm for engineering. He enjoyed his job and loved to putter around with machines, but his enjoyment of his job was no match for her greater love for what she did.

Carl Wilson, also twenty-seven, was the son of a Wyoming rancher and a small town physician and had a quiet shy nature which belied his impish tendencies. His bright blue eyes sparkled with a boyish playfulness and his quiet, subtle charm made him popular among his peers and co-workers. Wilson was just as impressed by their female companion, and he had no reservations about telling her so. Fallon Kincaid was a modest woman and his expression of his admiration only caused her to blush and try to downplay his perception of her engineering expertise. Having just spent two-and-a-half years on a starship, she insisted that she was merely more familiar with the systems than they were. But both men knew better…and so did Kincaid.

* * *

McCoy found Scott on the observation deck that overlooked the bay where the Enterprise was docked. The base maintenance crews had been giving her a thorough once-over before beginning the repairs that were needed following the recent accident, but Scott and his people, though understaffed, had managed to complete much of the repair work, leaving mostly work that Scott did not have the facilities, equipment or manpower to repair. Knowing the stress Scott had been under, Kirk had insisted that his overworked chief engineer relax and enjoy some shore leave rather than supervise the base engineers as they worked on the starship. Annoyed, Scott begrudgingly followed the request Kirk had transformed into an order at the first sign of balking from the engineer he knew so well.

McCoy looked across the bay at the ship. "How are you feeling?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I'm fine."

"Angry?"

Scott shook his head. "No. It's not worth it."

"Glad to hear you say that. I thought you were going to take him up on his offer to fight."

Scott shook his head, laughing softly. "No. He was just running off at the mouth. Besides, I'm not in any mood for a fight."

"Good. I'm not really up to patching you up again. Why don't you get some rest? You've been working much too hard lately and it's catching up with you."

Scott nodded wearily. "Aye. I suppose you're right."

"Of course I'm right. Come on."

He and the exhausted engineer left the deck for their respective quarters. It was time to rest and Scott needed it.


	2. Pub Encounters

The last group of new crewmen arrived at the base just after repairs to the ship had been completed. Kirk gave the crew two more days of leave before they would have to depart for the Sigma Tau system. That evening after dinner, Scott and McCoy, joined by Holly Matheson, one of McCoy's senior surgeons and a close friend to both men, were enjoying a relaxing evening in one of the base's more popular taverns, which was modeled after a nineteenth century British pub. They sat in a wooden booth on the far side of the pub from the entrance and ordered their drinks.

McCoy had thoroughly enjoyed this shore leave, taking full advantage of the base's extensive facilities and spending relaxing hours with Matheson in particular. It had not been as easy as McCoy had hoped it would be to convince Scott to join them, but the chief engineer humored him and spent some time with them … more time than he otherwise would have. Content with his technical journals and left to his own devices, Scott would have preferred to be left alone. But he also knew how McCoy worried about his physical and mental well being, so he allowed himself to be talked into spending time away from his solitude. Well-rested at last, Scott was feeling much better and he joined his friends more for their peace of mind than his own. He never regretted it. Today, he was in a particularly good mood. Having spent the day reviewing the repairs done by the base engineers to his beloved vessel, he was satisfied by the work they had done. They were ready to return to space.

Not long after they arrived, three young officers entered the tavern. They looked around and chose a booth across the room from where the senior officers sat. Neither group noticed the other for a long time.

Several hours and many drinks later, Preston took notice of the three officers across the room. "Hey, look—there's that station jockey we ran into the other day."

"Ray, I'd be careful if I were you," Kincaid cautioned. "I'm not so sure he is what you think he is."

"Sure he is. Don't tell me you think he's actually on active starship duty?"

"That is the impression I got."

"I agree with her, Ray," Wilson joined in. "Please don't start anything."

"Who, me? Nonsense."

He rose from his seat somewhat unsteadily as Kincaid pleaded, "Ray, don't…"

"Save your breath, Fallon," Wilson gently interrupted, running a hand over his light brown crew cut in frustration. "It's like butting your head against a brick wall. He never listens to reason. Let's just do our best to minimize the damage he's about to do. Whether that guy's on a starship or not, and I agree with you that he probably is, Ray's gonna piss him off."

They trotted after Preston, reaching his side as he stopped by the Enterprise officers. Scott looked up at the young man and McCoy groaned softly. Scott studied Preston in silence. Preston met his gaze and frowned. "I wasn't planning on meeting up with you again."

"I was hoping the same thing," Scott responded evenly. The chief engineer was fully aware that the young man had had more than enough to drink. He also knew that he, too, had had enough to drink that he could be easily provoked. But he didn't want a fight. Wilson grabbed his friend's arm. "Come on, Ray. The man doesn't want to be bothered by us, and neither do his friends."

"Carl's right. Let's go," Kincaid urged.

Preston pulled from his friend's grasp and ignored them both. "Do you remember our last conversation?"

"Very well."

"Before we part ways forever, 'fess up, man. You really don't know what you were talking about, do you?"

Scott's steady gaze never wavered from Preston. "You can think whatever you like, lad."

"But I want to hear you say it."

Scott looked into his drink, idly swirling the amber liquid in its glass. He finally looked back up at Preston. "Lad, I'm not going to tell you anything, because it's none of your business. Now I think you've had quite enough to drink and you should go on with your friends."

Preston's anger flared. "Who the hell do you think you are? I deserve more than to be dismissed like some little kid."

Scott's eyebrows raised, half in amusement and half in annoyance. "And just what do you think you deserve, sir?"

Matheson and McCoy diverted laughing eyes, wondering if the young man even realized Scott was not serious. "I deserve respect, pal."

Slowly Scott stood up. All humor gone, McCoy muttered, "Uh-oh."

The chief engineer was still in no mood for a fight, but he felt his anger rising. "In Starfleet, especially in Starfleet, respect is earned by rank and performance. It's not a right; it's a privilege. Didn't pay attention much at the Academy, did you?"

Preston balled his fists and pulled back to swing. Kincaid and Wilson, both now fully aware that Scott was no paper-pushing station jockey, yelled "No!"

Kincaid jumped between the men and Wilson grabbed Preston with both arms. He dragged his friend away from the table. Kincaid helped drag Preston away from the table, saying, "Come on, Ray. Don't be stupid."

"It's too late for that," Wilson commented dryly, adding, "As usual."

Preston pulled away from them both and snapped, "Shut up, Carl."

He left the tavern with Wilson right behind him, still admonishing him for his stupidity, "You just gotta start at least one fight every time…"

Kincaid hesitated once they were gone. She stood near the door, watching Scott, who was still visibly angry. She had to at least try to make this right. Preston was headstrong and impulsive, but he was a very good engineer. This man was no station jockey, though she had no clue who he actually was. She hated to have him judge Preston based on two encounters that went badly. She approached the table. "Sir?"

"What?" he snapped.

She stepped back in surprise at the hostility in his voice, and he immediately regretted his tone and the anger in it. Nothing that had happened was in any way her fault and he didn't mean to snap at her. He took a deep breath, calming himself. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. What did you want, lass?"

She relaxed at his more gentle tone and the quick fading of anger from his eyes. She met those warm dark eyes and she was drawn to him. "I just wanted to apologize for my friend. He drank a bit much for his discretion to kick in."

"Oh?" His dark eyes smiled at her. "And what was his excuse the last time we met? I get the feeling discretion is not one of his strong points."

She smiled and he realized for the first time what a stunning woman she really was. He continued to hold her gaze. "Maybe not," she answered.

He returned her smile willingly, then became more serious. "He's a big boy, lassie, and responsible for his own actions. You don't need to be apologizing for him. You and the other lad did your best, but the ultimate responsibility for his mouth is his own."

"Yes, sir. I realize that. I just felt the need to apologize to you. I doubt Ray will, even after he sobers up. Really, he's not as reckless as he seems. He's just…impulsive. Please don't think too poorly of him."

He studied her more closely and his warm smile returned. "Don't worry," he responded softly. "Now stop being maternal and enjoy yourself. You're welcome to join us if you'd like." When she hesitated at his invitation, he moved over and motioned to the seat beside him. "Please."

Smiling, she accepted his invitation and slid lightly into the booth beside him. He laughed softly, "Defecting to the enemy?"

She laughed with him. "I suppose so. But he'll get over it." She looked at him. "I'm Fallon."

"It's a pleasure," he bowed his head. "I'm Scotty."

McCoy leaned over the table toward them. "And I am Leonard and this is Holly." He looked at Scott and teased, "Remember us? We're still here."

Scott grinned at his friend. "An' how could I forget that?"

McCoy laughed and turned to Kincaid. "So what brings you to Starbase 12?"

"I'm changing duty assignments and my ship is picking me up here."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, which I am sure follows you anyway."

"It has with this assignment."

Scott raised his eyebrows. He had felt the same way when Star Fleet had assigned him to the Enterprise. He sincerely hoped she enjoyed her new assignment as much as he had always loved the Enterprise.

"So," McCoy changed the subject. "What would you like to drink?" He smiled. "My treat."

* * *

Scott walked with Kincaid along the base's corridors as he escorted her to her quarters. She grasped his arm and said, "Thank you very much."

"For what?"

"For a very nice time. I really enjoyed myself. I guess sometimes consorting with the enemy can be fun."

He laughed. "A shame it's just one night. I wish it could be more."

"Do you?" She looked at him.

He met her lovely eyes. "Aye," he answered honestly. "I do."

She took a deep breath as they approached her quarters and said "Well, here we are. Thank you again, Scotty."

He looked into her dark eyes one more time. "Thank you," he replied. He touched her cheek and lightly caressed it. "I enjoyed this evening very much." He leaned closer to kiss her cheek but she turned her head into his embrace. The kiss was unexpected, but he made no move to end it. Pulling her closer, he held her against him. It was Fallon who reluctantly broke the embrace. "Good night," she whispered, her fingers resting gently against his lips. Then she kissed him again and disappeared into her quarters.

He leaned back against the wall for support and closed his eyes. Finally pulling himself together he headed toward his own quarters. What the hell had happened? A simple good night kiss had never done that to him before, drinks or no drinks. Part of him wanted to believe it was a good thing she was shipping out tomorrow. Most of him didn't want to let her go.

Kincaid had been very reluctant to break the embrace, but the powerful emotions that suddenly overcame her in his arms frightened her. Was it a good thing she would not see him again? She had led them to believe she was shipping out the next day, so it was very unlikely she would see him again. A series of unfortunate experiences had led her to be very cautious of others, men in particular. It had taken her nearly a week to realize Preston and Wilson wanted only her friendship and to begin to relax with them. She was still cautious, but she was feeling better being around them. She had warmed up to McCoy and Matheson quickly, but her responses to Scott had shocked her. She was used to being guarded around people she did not know, but she experienced none of that with him…and she could not explain why. He had been warm and kind and she knew his intention had been simply to kiss her cheek. She could not explain why she had turned her head and given him more. It was a powerful, overwhelming kiss…but there was more to it than that. It was like, well, it was like it was just meant to be, like they were meant to be. She was at a loss…and she had no idea if he felt the same way.

McCoy laid back on his bed and folded his arms under his head. With the evening's events clear in his mind, he went over their encounter with Kincaid. He was thrilled by Scott's obvious interest in the woman. It was the first time since Mira Romaine's sudden death eight months ago that he had shown such interest in a woman. Granted he had turned to Matheson for comfort and companionship, but romance wasn't part of their relationship. Of that he was certain. It troubled the surgeon that they would not be seeing Kincaid again. She could be exactly the medicine that Scott's soul needed. Maybe tomorrow he could find out more about her…her name, if nothing else… He drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Late the next morning, Scott received the service records of the twenty-four engineers who were transferring to his section. He reviewed the records, setting aside three of them. Then he went back to the three files and reviewed them again. One he had already seen. He'd received Kincaid's record when she was originally considered for the position she was being given. But the other two were new to him, and he smiled. So…Starfleet was sending him a challenge…and it was one he was certainly up to. He leaned back in his chair and said, "Computer, display recent images of Lt. Raymond Preston, Lt. Carl Wilson and Lt. Fallon Kincaid."

"Working."

When Preston and Wilson's images came up on the screen, he laughed. According to their records, Preston and Wilson had excellent potential, but lacked the discipline to have that potential fully realized. The chief engineer of the Lincoln certainly had a great deal to say about them, none of it good. Scott knew the man, and he knew what a stuffed shirt he could be, so he'd laughed at the report of the incident which led to the young men's transfer. He also made a note to talk to Manuel Bishop, the Lincoln's commanding officer. Apparently, they'd been bored and they rerouted a number of subsystems through other channels. No harm had been done to anything except the chief engineer's blood pressure, but it had been the last straw. Personnel had placed a memo to him with their records. If they failed on this assignment, they were history. It was felt that of any engineer in the Fleet, Scott was the one who would be able to make something of the bright but undisciplined young men. If he couldn't, then there was nowhere else for them to go.

When Kincaid's image came up on the screen, his smile faded. He stared at the image before him. 'Oh, my God…' His heart raced at the mere memory of their good-bye from the night before. And now…now she would be the one engineer he would work with more closely than any other. Her record was exemplary. She had been consistently rated an outstanding officer and an even better engineer since her Academy days. He'd approved her for assignment as his first engineer, but she'd concurrently been offered the chief engineer's position on the Hannibal, which she'd turned down. That mystified him. Sure, assignment to the Enterprise, Starfleet's pride and joy, was a much-sought-after position, but a chief's position—and the promotion that went with it—was not something to be taken lightly. He had placed a call to Lieutenant Commander Fischer, chief engineer of the Excaliber, where Kincaid had transferred from. She was to be his senior assistant and he would rely heavily on her. He needed to know if there was anything he had to be concerned about; he had to know that she could do the job he would require of her. Fischer's recommendation had been unequivocal. Kincaid, he assured his friend, could do the job.

Kincaid…he found himself staring at her image on the computer screen. But now…dear Lord, how was he going to work with her? Would he be able to work side by side with her, without distraction? He hadn't been able to carry on a decent conversation with her nearby last night. He had thought, by the way she was talking, that she was shipping out today. But then again, she had not actually said she was, and he hadn't asked. He had not expected to see her again, but to find out she was being assigned to the Enterprise, to his section…that was more than a bit disconcerting. And yet, he was looking forward to seeing her again, very much…and for some reason that bothered him as well.


	3. Welcome to the Enterprise

Beam up of the final group of new crew members was completed. Scott looked up from the transporter console and met Fallon Kincaid's warm brown eyes. She involuntarily gasped. Scott was prepared for this encounter. Kincaid, he realized, was not. She had not expected to see him again. Kirk stepped forward for the eighth time that morning. "Welcome to the Enterprise. I am Captain James Kirk. These gentlemen are the ship's senior officers: Mr. Spock, the First Officer, Dr. McCoy the ship's chief medical officer and Mr. Scott, the chief engineer."

From the back of the group, Preston swore, a bit more loudly than he intended. Scott raised his eyebrows and looked toward the younger man. Kirk asked, "Is there a problem, lieutenant?"

Preston glanced at Scott and replied, "No, sir."

Kirk did not miss the visual exchange between the two men, but decided to let the matter drop. If there was a problem, Scott would handle it. "If you would all come with me, I will show you to your quarters."

"Captain?"

Kirk turned toward his chief engineer. "Yes, Mr. Scott?"

"I'll take care of the three lieutenants, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." He turned to Preston, Wilson and Kincaid, the only lieutenants in the group. "Mr. Scott will show you to your quarters."

"I hope the torpedo bay is comfortable," Preston grumbled as Kirk left with the rest of the group, followed by Spock as he returned to the bridge now that the new members of the crew had been greeted.

McCoy recognized Kincaid and smiled at her when she looked at him. He had noted her shock at seeing Scott as much as she noticed his surprise at seeing her. He also noticed that Scott was not surprised to see Kincaid. He nudged the chief engineer. "I want to talk to you later."

Scott stepped from behind the console and nodded at the doctor. McCoy headed out the door as Scott looked at the three engineers. Slowly, he shook his head. "I would never have guessed who you were when we met on the station." He looked at Preston. "Mr. Preston, I presume?"

"Unfortunately."

His eyes shifted to Wilson. "And Mr. Wilson."

"Yes, sir."

Finally he looked at Kincaid, holding her gaze for a long moment. "And Lt. Kincaid," he said, the tone of his voice noticeably different.

"Yes, sir."

Scott looked at Preston. "Are you that surprised to see me, lad?"

The young man looked at the floor. "Look, Commander, I'll just go and put in my transfer request right now."

"Now why would you want to do a thing like that?"

"I've been in this situation before. You piss off your CO the first time you meet him and things generally go downhill from there."

"Is that so? Mr. Preston, I neither expect nor want you to request a transfer. What happened on the base was…"

"Pure stupidity, right?" the young man interrupted.

"That depends on your perspective," Scott responded, allowing the interruption.

"Well, from my perspective, it was stupid. I…I apologize for my behavior."

Scott allowed himself a small smile. "That sounded painful, lad."

Preston looked directly at Scott, finally meeting his new commander's eyes. "I'm not used to apologizing."

"Your record indicates that you should be. But I wasn't looking for an apology. Everyone in Starfleet has their own place, whether that's on an active duty starship, on a starbase or planet, or back home at Headquarters. No one position is really any more important than any other. We all have a job to do. In assuming that someone stationed on a base is less of an officer than one on a starship, you only invite trouble and misunderstanding. Not to mention that your assumption is very, very wrong. I do not ever want to hear of you repeating that mistake, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"And I trust you will remember what I said about respect?"

"Uh, I'm sorry, sir, but I don't."

Scott nodded. "I'm not surprised." He stepped closer to the nervous young man. "Respect, Mr. Preston, is earned, not guaranteed. Be proud of being in Starfleet, but demand nothing of others. If you deserve respect, you'll get it. And I fully expect you to become very familiar with how to impart respect to others. That is something that will be required of you here, starting right now. Am I making myself clear?"

"Very."

"Try again, lad."

Preston lowered his eyes. "Yes, Mr. Scott. I get the message."

"I certainly hope that you do, lieutenant. Now, we will forget what happened on the base and start all over. Come with me."

They walked in silence behind the chief engineer. Wilson nudged Kincaid and gave her a knowing smile. She blushed and waved him off. The turbolift stopped on deck six and they stepped off. Walking down the corridor, Scott stopped before the appropriate door. "You lads will share these quarters. I will expect you in my office in main engineering at 0700."

"0700?" Preston sputtered. They'd never had to report in before their shift started. Actually, other section chiefs had wanted them around as little as possible.

Scott frowned. "That's what I said. Do you have a problem with that, Mr. Preston?"

"No, sir, not at all. 0700. See you then." He hurried through the door into his quarters.

Wilson shrugged and grinned. "Thank you, sir."

Scott returned the young man's grin and Wilson followed Preston into the room. Scott and Kincaid continued down the corridor as Scott informed her, "Your roommate is Dr. Holly Matheson. You remember her from the other day, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I…I'm worried about Ray. I'm afraid he didn't make a very good first impression."

"Don't worry about Mr. Preston. I'll straighten him out."

"You think you can?"

Scott laughed softly, and her heart melted as it had the other night. "Aye. According to his service record, he has the makings of an excellent engineer. I plan to exploit that potential." They stepped into the turbolift. "Deck five."

"Ray has a problem with authority figures."

"So I've noticed. Don't worry, lieutenant. I will handle Mr. Preston. That's exactly why he was sent here."

The lift doors opened and they stepped out. Heading down the corridor, she finally muttered, "And what about my first impression, sir? I'm afraid I wasn't much better."

He stopped. "What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps I gave you the wrong impression."

"About?"

"About me."

He gently turned her to face him. "No. My first impression of you was very positive. I got the impression you are an excellent engineer and an excellent officer. As for what happened the other night…" He sighed. "I don't know what to do about that either."

"Sir?"

"We need to talk, but not here. Look, it's your first day on the ship. Enjoy it. Be in my office at 0630. We'll figure things out."

"Yes, sir."

"Here are your quarters. Holly gets off at 6. Your personal belongings should be here. If they're not let me know. "

"Yes, sir." Her eyes had a rare ability to hold his gaze with no effort. Lightly he touched her cheek. Then he caught himself. He smiled warmly, "Have a good day."

She watched him leave and as she entered her new quarters, she wondered…would she be able to work as closely with him as she would have to? There was a very strong chemistry between them, almost uncontrollable. It took her a real effort to keep herself in check and that had never happened before. It created a tension unlike any she'd ever known. What was it about that man?

His willingness to put his conflict with Preston aside and give the young man a true chance had impressed her immensely…almost as much as those dark, expressive eyes and that bright smile of his did. Oh…this was not going to be easy. She had never believed in love at first sight…until now. But was it love? If not, what the hell was it? She shook her head and softly swore to herself. She had wanted this assignment so much she turned down a chief's position to get it. She wanted, very badly, to work with Starfleet's finest, and that was Scott. To say he was not the kind of man she expected was putting it mildly. She didn't quite know what she expected, but it wasn't him. She had never known a man like him before. And no one had ever had such a profound effect on her with such little effort. What was she going to do?

She took a deep breath. She knew what she was going to do. She was going to do her job. She was going to live up to his expectations. She was going to be the best first engineer she possibly could be. And if anything more came of the relationship…she faltered at the thought of that. If…anything more…oh, dear God…could there be anything more? Was there now? Those were questions she just didn't know the answers to.

* * *

When Scott walked into sickbay, McCoy ushered him into his office, then turned to face him. "You knew," he accused, half-smiling.

"Knew what?"

"Don't play innocent with me. You knew she was being stationed here."

Scott laughed, but there was an uneasiness to it that McCoy picked up on. "Aye, I knew. But I had no idea who she was the other night."

"So whose section has she been assigned to?"

"Mine."

The surgeon's eyes widened. "Yours?"

"Aye. She has been assigned to be my first engineer."

This just got better and better. "And how do you feel about that?"

"I…" He could not put up a front to McCoy. Almost anyone else, yes, but not McCoy. Not for long. "I have no idea how I feel about that."

"Are you going to tell me what happened when you walked her to her quarters the other night?"

"Now what makes you think anything happened?"

"The way you keep avoiding an answer to that question."

"Look, Doc…"

"Forget it…but what are you going to do about your attraction to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Scotty. Your whole damn body comes to life when she's around. I've seen it more than once now."

All humor was now gone from Scott's manner. He was not prepared to hear what McCoy was saying. It was something he'd not yet dealt with. He had no idea how he was going to handle it, or her. "She's my subordinate, Doc. There's no attraction." Under his breath he muttered, "There can't be." As if in saying it, it would somehow come true.

McCoy couldn't make out what he'd muttered. He was frowning at that first asinine comment. "What the hell does her being your subordinate have to do with it?"

Scott met the doctor's eyes, his own expression dark. "Everything. Now I have work to do."

McCoy watched him leave. Letting out his breath in a heavy sigh, he shook his head. Well, that reaction said volumes more than his words did, but it didn't tell the doctor what the man planned to do about it. Maybe he had no idea himself. But there was one thing McCoy did know. There was something between Scott and his new officer—or there would be, much sooner than Scott was banking on.

* * *

McCoy set his coffee cup down and looked across the table at his lunch partner. "Have you met your new roommate yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Do you remember Fallon, from the base?"

"The one Scotty…"

McCoy was nodding. "She's the one."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"And…"

"There's more?"

"Oh, yes. She is his new first engineer."

Matheson couldn't help but laugh. "That's wonderful. She's just what he needs."

"I don't think he'd be inclined to agree with you. He's going to be pig-headed about this."

"The last eight months have not been easy for him and you know it."

"But that's past, Holly. She's dead and he's not. He can't keep his heart in the past, or buried in her grave."

"I know that, Len. So does he. He's just not so willing to risk being hurt again like that. He won't admit it, but he's afraid to love again."

McCoy nodded. "I know he is," he said quietly. "I can even understand it. But it's not healthy, dammit."

Matheson smiled. "You know, this may be something he has no choice about."

"I agree, but I think he's going to fight it."

"And who will win?"

"How do you define the winner, Holly? It's a complete win or lose scenario. They will either both win or they will both lose. He can't handle another loss of that sort…not as hard as he took the last one."

She had no chance to answer. Scott had come into the room and decided to join the doctors for lunch. They changed topics and enjoyed the rest of their lunch in the company of the chief engineer. When lunch was done, McCoy broached the subject they had all been avoiding. "So, when do your new engineers start?"

Scott looked at him suspiciously; his answer was guarded. "Tomorrow."

Both doctors noticed the sudden change in his demeanor. Matheson said, "Len told me who your new first engineer is."

"I figured he would. He seemed to find a great deal of amusement in that this morning."

"Not amusement, Scotty. I just…never mind. You won't agree with me anyway."

"Probably not. I have to get back to work. I'll see you later."

The doctors watched him leave. "See what I mean?" McCoy said. "He won't even talk about it."

"Leave him alone for awhile. This is a situation he has to deal with and badgering him is only going to make him edgy. Let him come to you in his own time, Len. You know he will. He always does."

"Except for when he chooses to come to you."

"Well, there you go. When he's ready and he needs some advice, one of us will know about it."

"And what about her?"

"What about her?"

"Suppose she wants nothing to do with him?"

"Come on, Len. You saw them together. Whatever was there, it was mutual." She sighed. "They'll work it out. They have to. Come on. We have to get back to work, too."

* * *

Kincaid looked up from where she was working at her desk when Matheson came in after work that evening. The doctor smiled and held out her hand. "I suppose we should properly introduce ourselves. I'm Holly Matheson."

Kincaid returned her smile and handshake. "Fallon Kincaid."

"Welcome to the Enterprise. How was your first day?"

"Quiet. I don't expect too many days like this, though."

"That's wise, especially in engineering. We're a busy ship and engineering is a busy section. I know they keep us hopping in Sickbay. Scotty is a fair man, but he's very demanding of his engineers. And he's twice as demanding of himself."

"I've heard a lot about him. I think I'll like it here."

"What do you think of him?"

"I'm not sure what to think of him. Have you known him long?"

"Long enough," she answered with a smile.

"And what do you think of him?"

"Scotty is hard to get to know. But once you get past his outer shell, he's a good man, very kind, very warm and caring. I imagine that's a side of him you'll get to know sooner or later."

Kincaid just smiled. She didn't doubt what Matheson said…it was a side of him she was already acquainted with...and she did want to get to know him better.


	4. It Was a Good Day

The chief engineer was already in his office when Kincaid arrived at 0615. He looked up from his desk when she came in. "You're early."

"I try to never be late."

"Sit down."

She eased herself into a chair in front of the desk, keeping her eyes on him. "Don't be nervous," he assured her. He leaned back in his chair, much more at ease than he'd been the day before. He was in his element. This was his world…and hers, if he would let her share in it with him. She loved engineering and that was why she was on the Enterprise.

He watched her take the chair in front of his desk. Dear God, how was he going to handle working with her? He let his gaze stray around the room. When his eyes fell on the schematics that were on the monitor in front of him, he felt the tension in his body fade. Even though he had to fight down his reaction to her, it was easier to do here. Perhaps his engines would be enough…enough to moderate the effect she had on him. After all, they had been his heart and soul for so long, more than any person ever had been, even Romaine. As much as he had loved Mira, the call of his engines had served to cool off much of what they'd shared. He had been devastated by her death, but the pain had faded over the months. He had always found solace in work, even moreso after her death. It was among the circuits and relays of this ship that he found peace. It was the thrum of his engines that had soothed the pain in his heart.

He had recovered, his broken heart mended by the engines he so dearly loved. But human relationships were different for him. He cherished his friendship with McCoy and Matheson more than either doctor would ever know. He valued other friendships—with Kirk, Spock, the junior officers. He took his position as second officer seriously and the crew had come to respect and trust him. His engineers entrusted their problems to him when they sought help for their troubles. But the relationships he had with others were different from the bond he had with his engines. It was impossible for him to explain that to anyone else, even another engineer, but it was very real for him. In many ways, people couldn't help who they became. He'd had an affinity for machines all his life; people, by and large, were secondary. Of course, he had put his life on the line for his fellows more than once over the course of his career. That was rather anomalous…but that was who he was. People did matter to him. It was just that his machines, specifically his Enterprise, meant more. The Enterprise was his heart and soul. No person had ever managed to breach that. But was he ready for another romance? No, he wasn't sure he was. Yet it appeared he might not have a choice in the matter.

He let his attention stray back to the woman in front of him. He felt more at ease as he smiled at her. She smiled back, seemingly more at ease herself. "Well, lieutenant, what are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure what to think, sir. This is very different from the other night."

"Aye, that it is. I suppose we both would have acted differently had we known we'd be working together."

"In a way, though, wouldn't that have been unfortunate?"

"We wouldn't be so uncomfortable now."

She smiled her charming smile, and though he was enchanted with her, down here it _was_ different. "It's not so bad today, sir."

He couldn't help smiling, too. "No, it's not."

She got to her feet, and so did he. Would proximity change anything? He came around the desk as she stepped closer to him. "So are we done?" she asked.

He looked into her eyes, and the attraction was there, but here, in this context, so close to the engines that truly held his heart, it was manageable. "I guess we are."

They had solved nothing, but their surroundings helped them come to terms with each other, at least in the context of their jobs. Although they held each other's gaze, reluctant to move, they were comfortable with each other. His voice was soft. "I suppose we could test ourselves."

"How?"

"Have dinner with me?"

She smiled and reflexively touched his hand. He tensed, but didn't move. "I think I would like that." She broke the gaze…and the spell. "Now what do you have for me to do today, sir? Ray and Carl will be here soon and you'll have them to deal with."

* * *

The day was uneventful. Scott and Kincaid had no trouble interacting and both Preston and Wilson behaved themselves. The senior engineers both doubted their good behavior would last, but for the moment things were quiet. When the duty day ended and Scott released his charges, he went into his office to file his end-of-shift paperwork. His office was a sanctuary to him almost as much as the lower engineering levels were. He could gather his thoughts, figure things out, relax when he needed to with his beloved engines around him.

Kincaid pressed the buzzer and was granted entry into the office. Scott looked up, but for some reason, he had not expected it to be her. Engineers came and went all day and none ever bothered him or distracted him from what he had to do. But when she came in and smiled at him, it knocked him off kilter…and that shocked him. He stood up and recovered his bearings. He would get used to her, but he wondered how long that would take. She gave him an open smile. "Is there anything else you need for me to do?"

"No, lass. Not today."

"Then I'll be going off duty."

"How was your first day?"

Her face fairly glowed with joy. "I think I am going to love it here."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"It's hard to explain. No one has ever understood, and I'm not even sure I do myself. I just…I feel at home here. I've always been comfortable doing engineering, and I loved the Excaliber…but here, it's just different. I had a very good day today."

He was staring at her. "Sir? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. I'm glad to hear you had a good day."

She gave him a funny look, but didn't press the issue. "Are we still on for dinner?"

"Of course. I'll come by to get you around 1830."

She smiled again. "I'll be ready."

He sat slowly as she left the office. What the hell was that? He felt odd. This had never happened to him before. He thought things had been resolved this morning, and they had worked together without a glitch all day. Had he been so on his guard that when she surprised him his world went spinning? And her attempt to explain how she felt on the Enterprise…could he understand that? He had to laugh. He understood what she tried to describe better than she seemed to herself, better than anyone else ever could. Ah, it would be a very interesting dinner.

* * *

McCoy leaned back comfortably in his quarters. It was always quiet after leaving from R and R. Give it another week and things would pick up, he was sure. He relished the quiet times. The buzzer sounded in his ears. "C'mon in."

Matheson came through the door and sat down with a smile. "I just talked with Fallon."

"Oh? And how did things go?"

"Have you talked to Scotty?"

"No, not yet."

"Apparently, they had a very good day. She was a bit worried about how she would work with him, but they didn't seem to have a problem. At least she didn't."

"Hmmm. I wonder if his day was as good."

"They are going to have dinner tonight."

"Together?"

"Of course together."

"I wouldn't have thought he'd do that."

"Neither would I."

He grinned. "Maybe we should find a quiet corner and see what develops."

"You know what will happen if he knows we're there."

"Which is why we should go and get settled now."

"Don't you think he'll look for us?"

"Perhaps being with her he won't think of it. She does seem to distract him quite a bit. Remember how he forgot all about us at the base?"

"That was different and you know it."

He got up and rubbed his hands together. "Let's go and see just how different it really was."

* * *

Scott showed up at Kincaid's quarters just before 1830. She smiled warmly. "Now who's early?"

"I don't like to be late either. Ready?"

"Yes."

They walked into the Officer's Mess and got their dinner. Scott didn't even look around as they sat down. On the other side of the room, McCoy tapped Matheson's arm. "See? She still monopolizes his attention."

"Yes, I see she does. But it's different than it was. Watch him."

Scott seemed at ease in a way he hadn't been on the base. He talked easily with her and she responded to him in kind.

Kincaid smiled. "So what was your first impression of Ray and Carl as engineers?"

Scott nodded. "They're good. And they have the potential to be excellent."

"They behaved today."

"They're testing the water."

"How do you know that? Maybe they've turned over a new leaf."

Scott laughed, genuinely amused at her innocence. "Oh, no, love. They've done nothing of the sort. They are going to watch and listen, maybe for a few weeks but not much longer. Then they'll try something to see how I'll react. It's my reaction they'll judge their misbehavior on."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because years ago I was just like Mr. Preston. I tested the water all the time. It was my chief who kept me out of the same kind of trouble Ray has had. And I had the sense to get serious before something went really wrong with my career. Ray and Carl have had some tough breaks. I wish they had been sent here before now."

"You really think they have a chance."

"They have a good chance. I think they'll make it."

She studied him intently. "What makes you so different from the other men who have had to deal with them?"

"I understand them. The lads haven't been challenged. Other men have hesitated to challenge them because they goof off so much. It's boredom that gets them in trouble. Once they know exactly where they stand with me, they'll stay in line. They just have to find out where the line is and they've never been able to find that out before. They've never been given the chance."

He continued to surprise and impress her, particularly where Preston and Wilson were concerned. She had expected a much different response from him regarding the two men.

"Now what are you starin' at me like that for?"

She was able to read his face with ease and she saw the smile in his eyes. "You surprise me, sir."

"How?"

"I expected you to take a very tough stand with them."

"I will, if I have to. I don't think I'll have to after they step out of line the first time."

"And how do you think you'll react?"

"I'd wager I'll be very angry at first. No one messes with things in my section. I suppose it depends on what they do, but don't expect me to be pleasant about it. I do understand them, but that isn't going to help them much when they step out of line."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

"Aye, we definitely will."

"And what about me?"

"What about you?"

"Yesterday you said your first impression of me was very positive. I didn't think it was. What did you see that I didn't?"

"I think we were looking for different things. I was very impressed with the way you handled your engineering disagreement with Ray. And you were right. Most engineers would never attempt to channel phasers through the warp drive."

"What made you do it?"

"Desperation, knowledge, trust and something a bit more tenuous."

"Ok. I'll bite. Explain that."

"It was a tough situation and our phasers were depleted. I know what I'm doing well enough to know it could be done. The captain trusted me to do something. I trusted my engines not to let me down. And I didn't want to let the captain down. I can't explain that last bit. That's just Jim Kirk. There's little I wouldn't do for the man, and I don't ever want to let him down. The day I do will be the day none of us come home. In a way, we both push the envelope."

"My guess would be he goes as far as he does because he knows you'll come through for him."

"Maybe."

"He's a good captain?"

"There are none better. You'll see that soon enough."

* * *

After dinner, he walked her to her quarters. "It's been a very good day for me," she said.

"And for me. Thank you."

"Me? Why?"

"Maybe someday you'll understand. I'm not sure I do myself. Let's just say time with you is something I have needed and I never knew that I did."

She looked puzzled but didn't pursue it. "What time should I report in?"

"The duty day starts at 0800, except for Ray and Carl."

"And you?"

He laughed warmly. "And me. That's the nature of my job. But you can feel free to report in any time you'd like before the shift starts."

"I'll do that then. Good night, Chief."

Stepping away from her, he gave her a warm smile. "Good night, lieutenant."

And that was all. He left as she went into her quarters but he didn't go directly to his quarters. He found himself on one of the secondary observation decks. This one was his favorite. It was quiet and out of the way. Few people knew how often he came here. It was there that Matheson found him several hours later. She came up behind him and lightly stroked his hair. He looked up at her and smiled. "How was your day?" she asked.

"It was a good day."

"Better than you thought it would be?"

"Much."

"And your new engineers?"

"They're a good bunch. You're beating around the bush, Holly. Ask what you came here to ask me."

"We saw you at dinner tonight."

"She's something else, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. So, what's going on with the two of you?"

"I don't know yet. We discovered today that working together won't be a problem."

"I told you I didn't think it would be. As focused as you are on your job, I don't think there's anything that could distract you from it."

"I would be willing to bet she could, if she tried."

"Really?"

"I don't know what it is about her, Holly. I really don't. We have to find our place with one another, but neither of us is sure just what it is."

"Things will fall into place in due time. Sometimes all it takes is time. What is your heart telling you?"

"I can't tell. My damn body won't let it get a word in edgewise."

She laughed and kissed the top of his head. "You'll figure it out, dear. You always do."

"It's never been like this, though."

"Give it time. Good night, Scotty."

"G'night, Holly."

He looked back toward the observation window. Time would tell. With a heavy sigh, he rose and left the room.


	5. Curiosity Bit Them in the Hindquarters

The new engineers fell into a comfortable routine as they assumed their duties and became accustomed to the way Scott ran his engine room. The engineers rotated in three eight hour shifts: the day shift, which Scott supervised; the swing shift, which covered the late afternoon and evening hours and was supervised by a senior lieutenant named Steven Bradbury; and the midnight shift, commonly called mids, which was supervised by Troy Karlisle, newly promoted to senior lieutenant but well-experience in his job.

Preston and Wilson had been assigned to work mids under Karlisle, and Scott told him to keep a close eye on them until they settled in. He didn't want any incidents cropping up in the middle of the night. For several weeks, everything went smoothly, not counting a few minor practical jokes that Scott chose to ignore. Then Preston and Wilson got curious.

* * *

Scott walked into engineering at 0600, stopped and looked around. Almost two months had passed since the arrival of the new engineers and there had really been no problems. Until today.

Scott was not happy. He had woken with an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong. Where his ship was concerned, Scott had a sixth sense that he had learned not to ignore. Calling down to the section had not appeased him, despite Karlisle's assurances that everything was fine. He made Karlisle check the vital systems while he waited, but everything checked out. Though the midshift supervisor felt further investigation was unnecessary, he didn't balk at Scott's order to check the subsystems. It was while running the subsystem diagnostic that Karlisle had found the anomaly. Someone was experimenting with the power flow of several of the minor systems, and Scott had a good idea who it was: the same two clowns who liked to rig dummy wiring and play with the lighting in his office. But there was no danger in letting things wait until morning, and Scott had a mind to let his first engineer handle this. After all, she had been the one to defend those two buffoons every time they aggravated him. He told Karlisle just to keep an eye on it—and the two junior lieutenants—and that he'd take care of it, and them, in the morning. It had taken him a long time to settle down and get back to sleep.

His eyes scanned the quiet section. Kincaid came into sight, saw the chief engineer and quickly turned, but not before he saw her. "Lieutenant Kincaid, come over here."

He walked to a nearby computer monitor, where she joined him. He studied the screen and frowned. "What's wrong, sir?" she asked, not quite able to keep the knowing tone from her voice.

He looked at her sideways. "What have you been up to this morning?"

"What makes you think I've been up to anything?"

He studied her suspiciously. "Lieutenant…" he warned.

"Now, sir, why should I tell you about something you are already aware of?" She hesitated, then asked, "May I talk with you in private, Mr. Scott?"

He nodded and motioned for her to follow him. He headed for his office. He was still annoyed, at her as much as at the men for what they'd been up to, but he couldn't quite define his annoyance with her. And it lasted only as long as it took to cross the section and enter his office.

He stood aside to allow her to enter first, and when the office door slid closed behind him, he leaned back against the doorway, folding his arms across his chest. "Well?"

She was quiet for a moment, studying him closely. Finally she sighed and said, "I am your first engineer, right?" He nodded. "That means I am second-in-command of this engine room, right?"

"Aye. You know that."

"So then you should trust my judgment. In light of that fact, I would like to make a recommendation, if I may."

"Be my guest."

She took a deep breath. This was more difficult than she thought it would be, and he wasn't helping. She said, "I think Preston and Wilson should be switched to the day shift."

He wasn't surprised by her suggestion; he'd been expecting it. "So I can babysit them?"

"No, sir. So you can challenge them. You told me on my first day that you understood them, that they needed to be challenged. They don't deserve to be tucked away out of sight on the midshift. You know that. I am certain we can come up with enough for them to do to keep them adequately busy and equally challenged."

"We, lieutenant?" He lightly rubbed his chin and asked, "Why didn't you bring this up when I decided to try them out on mids?"

"It's your section, sir, and your decision."

"But you disagreed then, I assume?"

"Yes, sir. I did."

"So why didn't you bring it up then?" He did not repeat himself often.

"I guess we've all been testing the water. I wasn't sure how you would respond to unsolicited suggestions, even from your second-in command."

"Now that hasn't stopped you every other time they have annoyed me."

"I think you have been expecting me to defend them."

"Do you, now?" He seemed surprised, but she sensed that he wasn't. Something told her she was right.

"What would you have done if I hadn't?"

Now that was a question he had not expected, and he didn't have a ready answer because he had not considered an alternative. She was right. He knew all along she would defend them when they toed the line. But now they had crossed that line, just as he had predicted they would, and he had to deal with them. He studied her closely, and she did not flinch under his gaze. She did, however, notice the change in his eyes just before he asked, "Why have you defended them, lass?"

"They haven't meant any harm, sir. They know what they are doing and I think they have just been trying to get your attention."

"Well, they have it now."

She laughed lightly, and again, as usual, his heart melted at the sound of it. "They were just having fun."

"Fun?" He was genuinely surprised at her assessment. "Scaring the hell out of Ensign Fuller with that jack-in-the-box tribble or whatever it was that popped out of her console when she turned it on? Or tying half the fire containment systems into communications so they'd go off every time the bridge called down here?"

She had to fight not to smile. "Those pranks didn't do any harm, except maybe to your blood pressure. And they were funny."

He averted his gaze to hide his own amusement from her. He wasn't prepared to admit that to anyone. He could remember similar pranks…but he fought down memories of the past even as he had to fight down the powerful feelings she evoked from him. He sighed finally and looked toward her again. She was getting to know him well and she noticed the change in him. And he could see that in her eyes. He nodded at her. "All right, lieutenant. I'll bring them onto the dayshift."

"But, sir, I…what did you say?"

"I said all right. You expected an argument?"

He could still surprise her. "I was prepared…yes, sir, I did."

He laughed softly. "I do trust your judgment," he said gently. "And those two clowns are your first full responsibility. 'We' can certainly find enough to keep them busy, but for now, they will report to you."

"What are you going to do about last night's incident?"

"I will deal with them, lass. Don't worry about that. They crossed that line and I told you before that my response will set the tone for the future. I will respond, don't doubt that."

He walked toward his desk, stopping beside her. "I know you won't let me down," he said softly. She couldn't interpret his tone and he wasn't looking at her. It wasn't a warning or a request. She looked toward him. "No, sir. Never."

He turned to look at her, as unable to interpret her tone as she was his. He met her eyes and she held his gaze. She still had that power, and he didn't want to look away. It was with a reluctance he did not understand that he said, "Tell them I want to see them."

"Yes, sir." She was the one who turned away. She stopped at the door and looked back at him. "Thank you, Chief."

His only response to her was a smile, but it was all the answer she needed. She left the room.

He sat down at his desk. His interactions with her had become easy and relaxed, but there were still moments that made his heart race. He'd denied any attraction to her when McCoy asked, but he'd lied. The attraction was there, constant and almost overwhelming…except for in the engine room. Work was work and they were both professionals. Outside the duty section, however, things were different. It was a constant struggle to keep himself in check. The strength of her influence over him was profound and he found that more than just a little disturbing.

* * *

Preston and Wilson stood at attention before the desk of the chief engineer. Scott studied them without saying a word. They were nervous and he did not want to reassure them, not just yet. He wanted them to sweat it out. Finally, he said, "Do you lads have any difficulty understanding me? Have I not been clear about anything I have said to you?"

Wilson answered, "No, sir. We understand you."

"So when I told you I would tolerate no monkeying around in my section, you understood that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Preston?"

"Yes, sir. I understood."

"Then what the hell were you thinking last night? Fooling around with lighting systems and communications is one thing, but you lads were rechanneling power flows without authorization. Did you think maybe I wouldn't notice?" Neither man answered. "Or did you think Kincaid would cover for you?"

Preston's nervous fidget and quick sideways glance at Wilson gave him his answer. Scott sighed. "When I came down here this morning, I was fully prepared to hang you both from the rafters. To be honest with you, I still am. But when I got here, there was no sign, except for a brief entry in the duty log, that you had done anything. So she did cover for you by getting down here early enough to keep your little venture out of the midshift report I get every morning. But she did underestimate me. Very little that goes on in this section escapes my attention." His steady gaze made the men more nervous.

"But no one knew…" Preston began, withering quickly under his chief's hot glare.

"What I know would surprise you, Mr. Preston. The fact that you told Kincaid…"

"But we didn't tell her. She popped in at about five and found out."

That surprised Scott enough that he allowed the young man's interruption. What was she doing down there three hours before the start of her shift? Not that she didn't have the freedom to 'pop' in whenever she felt the need…but why had she felt the need, he wondered. Preston's voice snapped him from his musings, and he became annoyed that he'd let himself be distracted. "If you knew what we did and when we did it, why didn't you call us on it then?"

Wilson groaned as Scott stared at Preston. The chief engineer's jaw knotted tensely. "You both are damn lucky no damage was done or we would not be standing here discussing it. I had planned to let Kincaid handle it."

Preston looked away and would not meet Scott's eyes. "She handled it all right."

Scott suppressed a smile. "Gave you hell for it, did she?"

"Yes, sir. She read us the riot act, and then some."

"Be glad she got to you before I did."

"Should we also be glad she got to you before you got to us?" When Scott's eyes flared, he added, "Sir?"

"Will you shut the hell up for a change, Ray?" Wilson snapped at his friend.

Scott sighed heavily. These two really were incorrigible. They reminded him very much of two other young engineers, engineers who'd lived a lifetime ago… "Gentlemen, I honestly am not in the mood to give you any leniency at all. But my first engineer seems to think you two have merit, and I am inclined to trust her judgment. So, beginning tomorrow, you lads will be working the day shift, under her direct supervision. Do not expect this to be a cakewalk, lads. She will not be easy on you. You will report for duty at zero hundred hours for your last midshift assignment. After that you will report to me at 0700."

"Doesn't the day shift start at 0800?" Preston asked.

There was no cockiness in his voice, and the sharp elbow he got from his best friend spared him an additional angry lecture from his chief. "Your shift will begin and end when I say it does, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir."

"I will turn you over to Kincaid when she comes on duty, or whenever I feel like it. Any questions?"

"Will we be needing toothbrushes when we report in, Chief?"

"I'll let you know, Mr. Preston." He looked from one man to the other. "Make no mistake, gentlemen. This is your last chance. Do not doubt that. Kincaid will not cover for you again, and I promise you if there is any more unauthorized activity from either one of you, she will not be able to save you. I will not wait to deal with you ever again. Dismissed." The men saluted and turned to leave. "And tell Kincaid to get in here."

"Yes, sir."

They left the room quickly. Wilson slowly let out his breath. "What the hell is wrong with you? Want to give him some more ideas?"

"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't need any help from me to find things for us to do."

"You know, he didn't yell and rant like Mr. Harrison used to, but I never felt this bad after one of his tirades."

"Tell me about it. I really don't want to call him on his threat to hang us from the rafters."

"No. I have no doubt he'll be able to find some rafters around here, even if they aren't in the design specs."

Kincaid approached them "You boys look like you've been squeezed through a ringer."

"He didn't have to go that far, yet," Preston answered. "Thanks, Fallon. You saved our asses."

"I put mine on the line doing it. You'd better not screw up again."

"We'll behave," Preston grinned. "He wants to see you."

She nodded. "I'll see you later."

They went back to work to finish their last hour on duty and she went to the chief engineer's office.

"Sit down, lieutenant," Scott said.

She sat down. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to talk to you again." He leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why were you down here at 0500?"

"If there's something wrong with me coming down when I'm not on duty…"

"I didn't say that, did I? When I said you could report in at any time, I meant that. I just wanted to know why you were down here at such an early hour."

"No specific reason. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I thought that if maybe I came down here and walked around some I could relax enough to get back to sleep."

He frowned. "But why down here? Why not one of the observation decks? Or the arboretum?"

She shifted in her seat. "I can't explain it, sir. And I don't expect you to understand. I just feel…comfortable down here. I can relax down here. I don't know why, I just can. I…" She stopped at the expression on his face. "Is something wrong, Chief?"

He was amazed to hear her describe feelings so close to his own. Recovering quickly, he said, "I do understand, lass. More than you know."

She smiled and continued, "I came across what Ray and Carl had done and I called them on it. I told Troy just to note in the log that it had been discovered and corrected. He told me you had already talked with him about it but he didn't go into details."

"Did you fix the problem?"

"No, sir. They did."

"Willingly?"

"When I was done with them. How did you find out about it?"

"I just had a feeling something was amiss. There was no danger, which is why those two are still alive. If they'd placed anyone in danger, I'd have torn them apart. I decided to let it go and let you handle it. I was surprised to find out that you already had."

She smiled, pleased that she had impressed him. "In a way I was kind of hoping you wouldn't notice. I wasn't sure how you were going to react or how I was going to handle you."

Handle him? He ignored that for the moment. "Would you have kept it from me?"

"I doubt it. But it probably would have been better coming from me."

"Maybe. Tell me, lass, why did you put yourself on the line for those two?"

"They are good engineers."

"And?"

"In the proper environment, sir, they could become one of your biggest assets."

"They have a propensity for trouble and you keep sticking up for them, lass."

She smiled. "And you are more lenient with them because I do."

He suppressed a smile. "I trust you to deal with them in your own way."

"Is that all?"

All she needed to know. "I had hoped you'd be the type to stand up to me when I agreed to accept your assignment here."

She frowned. "When you agreed…? What do you mean?"

"Starfleet considered you for the position, but final approval of your assignment was mine."

"You mean if you hadn't approved of me, based solely on my record…"

"Lieutenant, your record is exemplary. But it wasn't my only consideration. I spoke with Lt. Cdr. Fischer and his recommendation also weighed heavily in my decision."

"My career was in the hands of a man who'd never even met me?"

He hadn't expected her to react angrily. Scott had earned a tremendous level of respect at Headquarters that had absolutely nothing to do with his father's position as Chief of Operational Readiness. His reputation at Headquarters had been hard won and he was generally acknowledged as the Fleet's best engineer, a distinction that no one disputed and many expanded to include the entire Federation. Few men in Starfleet below the rank of starship commander were in a position to make suggestions about Fleet assignments and have those suggestions seriously considered; Scott was one of those few. If he had rejected their choice for the officer he would rely on most, they would have respected his opinion and chosen another officer. As it was, he was more than pleased with her performance and with her. "Lieutenant," he soothed. "You have to understand my position. I have to make certain that any person who serves as my first engineer is up to the job."

"But if Starfleet Command…"

"If I had rejected you for the position, you'd be on the Hannibal. This position would never even have been offered to you."

"So you knew I was being considered before I did?"

"Of course."

"I wanted to come here."

"And I wanted to have you. That's why you're here." She seemed to consider that. He rose from his chair and came around to the front of the desk, leaning back against it. "Listen to me for a minute, lass. If anything happens to me—if I become incapacitated or even get killed—or if I'm absent from the section or the ship for any reason, then this section and the lives of every member of this crew will be in your hands. That is not a responsibility I take lightly—for myself or any member of my senior staff—and I had to be absolutely certain that you would be up to it. After all, as you pointed out, you are second-in-command down here. And it isn't an unlikely scenario that you could end up in charge during a crisis. It has happened before on this ship and it will happen again. I have to have full confidence in you…and I do."

She studied his face and she knew he was sincere. "I appreciate your faith, sir."

"Are you still angry?"

"Not angry, no. I guess I'm still annoyed because I like to think I shape my own future. But I can understand your reasoning. I never thought of my position as important. I always thought of yours as the vital one."

He smiled. "It is. And when I'm not here, that position is yours."

She nodded and rose, anticipating his dismissal. "I understand, sir."

"Answer me one more question, lass?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you choose this assignment over the chief's position on the Hannibal? I'm sure you know a promotion would have come with it, and a chief's position on any ship is no small accomplishment."

"I realize that, Chief. But…" She paused, then said intensely, ""I fell in love with the Constitution class starships the first time I was exposed to them, though I don't expect you to understand that. No one else ever has." She sighed and he sensed her frustration. She continued, "I know the engineering sections of virtually every ship in the Fleet—except these starships. My time on the Excaliber proved that. I did everything I knew to learn as much as I could, and I'm certain I annoyed Mr. Fischer with all my questions. There were a number of them he simply could not answer, at least not to my satisfaction. I realized that if I was ever to learn everything there is to know about starship engineering, then I would have to learn from someone who knows everything about it. I'll admit that when I first heard the rumors about you, I had my doubts. No one is that good. But true or not, they did tell me one thing: there is no doubt in Starfleet that you are the best." She looked at his face, but she couldn't read his expression. That made her nervous, but she steeled herself to continue. "So I put in a request for assignment here, in any position. About a month before we met on Starbase 12, I was offered this position, or the one on the Hannibal. It happened so quickly. I mean, there were rumors that I'd be offered the Hannibal position, but this one…I never imagined."

He responded, "We had a bad accident here, about two weeks before you were offered this position. I lost my first engineer and my swing shift supervisor in that accident and I didn't have a replacement for either. That's why we had the sudden position vacancy. But suppose you'd been offered another junior position?"

"I would have taken it."

He sighed. "That would definitely have been a disadvantage to you, lass. One that would have come back to haunt you."

"I realize that. But as I said, I want to learn from the best." She smiled, almost shyly, and added, "Everything I heard about you is true, Chief. You are as good as they say you are. Maybe better."

He smiled warmly, at her expression more than at what she said, and replied, "So you want to learn starship engineering." He folded his arms across his chest. "All right then, I'll teach you."

She stared at him, as if she had not understood what he'd said. "Sir?"

"I have never been one to suppress the enthusiasm of my engineers for their field. If you want to learn, then I will teach you, though it may require you to put in hours beyond your normal duty hours."

She just stared at him. This was the first time a superior officer had actually encouraged her unique passion for her field. "Are you serious, Chief?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't serious. Are you interested?"

Her lovely eyes lit up as she studied his face. She moved closer to him. "When do we start?" she asked with a smile.


	6. Connecting

The next morning, Scott entered engineering central at 0600. Preston looked up from his work. By now he was used to seeing the chief engineer in the section well before his shift began. Scott noticed the gray eyes that watched him from across the room. He moved closer to where Preston was working, but didn't acknowledge the junior engineer, except to say, "Did you behave last night?"

The young man looked away and muttered, "Yes, sir."

Scott stood there for a moment watching him. "Lieutenant, come with me."

Preston handed his tool to a nearby engineer and followed his chief to his office. Scott sat at his desk and motioned Preston to be seated in front of him. Preston sat down. Scott asked, "Do you like being treated like a child?"

"No, sir."

"Do you have any idea why you get treated like one?"

"Because of my attitude?"

"So you know what the problem is, yet you continue to behave the way you do?" Preston looked at the floor and didn't respond. "Your attitude is your main problem, lad, but there's no reason any man should be condescending to you."

"You haven't been condescending."

"Have others?"

"You know they have. Sir." He tried never to forget to add that 'sir' when he talked to Scott. Just so there'd be no misunderstanding—Preston knew who was in command in this section. He'd never been afraid of a superior before…no, afraid wasn't the word. He wasn't afraid of Scott. He…respected the man. Yes, that was it…respect. He'd never truly respected anyone before, and he didn't quite know what to do about it. Oh, he'd made the motions at the Academy, but somehow, in this situation, that seemed hollow. No—Scott deserved more than just empty motions of feigned respect.

He turned from his reflection when the chief engineer spoke. "Mr. Preston, I like your work. You seem to have a good grasp of engineering and how things work on a starship. You are thorough and very accurate. I reviewed that unauthorized job you did. You are a good engineer. I think you have more potential than anyone else has ever taken the time or effort to notice. You've only been here for a short while, and I can see a variety of both strong and weak points in you. We'll work on them. Remember this, laddie—as long as you work with me, and do your best, we won't have a problem. That includes following orders and no more unauthorized modifications of my systems. Am I getting through to you, lieutenant?"

"Loud and clear, Mr. Scott."

"I certainly hope so. And the same holds true for Mr. Wilson. Now go on back to work. When Lt. Kincaid reports in, you can go to breakfast if she has nothing specific for you to do."

"Yes, sir." He rose and left the room. Scott grinned and turned to begin his work day.

The weeks that followed Preston and Wilson's transfer to the day shift were uneventful. Neither man wanted to call Scott on his warning for them to behave. They had no desire to see him really angry, or to find out what type of punishment he would deal them. At dinner one night, in a discussion about the incident for which they'd gotten in trouble and their almost perfect behavior since, Preston said, "I'm not one for potato peeling and something tells me that's next."

"Potatoes? What potatoes?"

"I wouldn't put it past him to replicate several hundred pounds of potatoes and two peelers, just for us."

Wilson laughed. "You know, neither would I."

The more time the two men spent working with Scott, the more he impressed them. It took them awhile to realize he actually enjoyed working with them. That was a new experience for them, especially for Preston. Wilson had grown up in a rowdy, but loving family. He was an only child, but he picked up his untamed habits from the ranch hands he grew up around. Preston was an orphan. He grew up in a series of foster homes and never found acceptance anywhere but Starfleet. Even in the Fleet, though, he had problems…until now. Scott's willingness to set aside their rocky start and actually accept him for who he was…Ray had never known that before. Much of his cockiness was a front to protect a delicate ego. He had spent his entire life seeing himself as a worthless screw-up and here was Scott telling him he was more. For the first time in his life, Preston had a positive role model, a man he respected and admired, a man who earned that respect from him. Neither of the men was perfect, and Scott did not expect them to be. The chief engineer rarely jumped to conclusions and never without justification. He was fair and even-tempered, slow to anger, and he made them feel as though they were worth the time he spent working with them.

For Scott, as much as he had always loved his job, he was discovering a new dimension to his life in working with these three engineers. Preston and Wilson were bright and inquisitive, and they really loved their work. They began joining Scott and Kincaid during their extra training sessions and it was a relaxing time that Scott looked forward to more and more. Nothing in his life had ever meant more to him than the Enterprise…but these three engineers were drawing close. Life settled down for them into a comfortable routine, and the time passed.

It was late one evening when Scott and Kincaid entered the chief engineer's quarters. He sat down at his desk and began looking through his technical journals. Warp theory was a difficult concept to master and Kincaid was having some trouble with one of the more nebulous aspects of the theory. This was the first time she'd been in his quarters. She looked around, her eyes straying to the set of bagpipes on the wall. She smiled. "Do you play?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

"The pipes. Do you play?"

"Aye." He turned back to the journals.

Her voice was quiet. "My father used to play the pipes."

"Oh? Doesn't he play anymore?"

"I wouldn't know."

He looked over his shoulder at her, but the tone of her voice did not invite discussion. She wouldn't look at him, so he let the matter drop and returned to his search. Finding the journal he wanted, he slid it into the viewer and called her over. "Read this over when you have a chance and see if it helps."

She walked around the desk and looked over his shoulder. "You wrote this."

"Aye." He took it out and handed it to her. "See what you think of it."

She nodded. "I will." She looked back at the pipes. "Do you think I might persuade you to play for me sometime?"

She looked at him, noting a sudden change in his eyes, so swift she wasn't sure she'd even seen it. She'd been noticing that a lot lately and she was beginning to wonder if she was imagining things. He smiled warmly. "Maybe."

She reached out and ran her finger gently along the chanter. "I've always loved the pipes."

"Where are you from, Fallon?"

He'd noticed the slight accent that colored her words, recognizing it as a Highland dialect, but it wasn't pronounced and he couldn't exactly place it. "I was born and raised in Aberdeen, but I left when I was 14 to live with my aunt and uncle in London. I never went back." She sighed. "I loved Aberdeen. I have many fond memories from home."

"Why did you leave?"

"It's complicated and I'd rather not get into it."

He backed off and she appreciated his respect. "What about you, sir? Where are you from?"

"A wee town called Kinarney, north of Aberdeen."

She smiled. "I've been there a few times, when I was little. It's a magical place."

Scott laughed. This woman never ceased to charm and endear herself to him. The more time he spent with her, the closer she grew to his heart. "I've never heard it described in quite that way before. I suppose maybe magical could describe it, if you didn't see it every day."

"And if you did?"

He leaned back in his chair and studied her with warm eyes. "Then it's simply home."

"Home," she repeated softy, sitting on the edge of the desk. He didn't miss the wistful tone or the sadness in her eyes. "Couldn't that in itself be considered magical?"

"I suppose it could at that. I'll have to take you there someday."

Her face brightened. "I'd love to see it again and hear all about it from someone who grew up there."

He leaned toward her, his tone quiet and sincere. "And I'd love to see it through the eyes of someone who considers it magical."

There was a pause as she met his eyes, and again their gazes locked. The emotions both fought came rushing forth for them to struggle with again. His eyes were dark and captivating; hers were warm and enchanting. She reached her hand toward his, lightly touching his fingers. He turned his hand over and closed it around hers. Her smile lit up her lovely face and he couldn't help but return it. "I..I'd better go," she said.

He said nothing and she didn't move. "Scotty…" she whispered. "It's getting late."

"I suppose it is," he muttered. He let her hand go and this time it was he who looked away first.

She stood and looked at him for a moment. Her mind fled back to Starbase 12 and the kiss they'd shared before they knew who they were to each other. Ah, the bliss of ignorance. And now…she adored the man. The more time she spent with him, the more she loved him. She felt his affection and sensed his attraction, but she had no idea how he truly felt about their relationship. She was afraid that if she pushed, she'd drive him away, and that would break her heart. So she left things as they were. "Good night, Scotty."

Scott finally looked at her and he grinned, but there was a tension in his eyes she wasn't able to define. "Good night, Fallon."

She left the room and he let out his breath in a heavy sigh. What the hell was he going to do? He knew what he wanted to do, but the reality of his relationship with her always came back to haunt him. If he wasn't so damn overwhelmed by her…he closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He had never known a woman who was able to spin him so completely out of control. And it was getting harder and harder to keep his bearings around her when they weren't in the engine room. His engines kept him grounded but even their grip on him was beginning to slip when it came to his first engineer.


	7. Inspection Tour

Scott walked into the transporter room where Kirk, Spock and McCoy waited for him. They had just rendezvoused with the Lexington to receive a group of civilian inspectors. With them came orders from the commandant of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers to initiate several modifications to the engineering section. Scott had received his own set of orders to cooperate with the inspectors but if he saw any changes that were necessary to make those updates work, or to improve upon them, he was free to make those changes.

Once the transfer was complete, Kirk greeted the four inspectors and introduced his senior officers. A handsome woman stepped forward and studied Scott. Her gray eyes were guarded as she said, "My name is Francine Beauregard and I am in charge of this inspection tour. I am familiar with your reputation, Commander Scott, but that will not in any way affect my opinion of your section."

"There is no reason it should, Inspector. My section will stand on its own merit."

"We shall see. Were you notified of the modifications we will be making to these engines?"

"Aye, but I will warn you that nothing is to be done to anything in my section without my approval."

"Commander, Admiral Donovan himself sent us to modify your ship's engines. We have his authorization to both inspect your section and to complete these upgrades."

"Check your orders completely, Inspector. The Admiral will back my authority on this ship."

The inspector looked at Kirk. "Captain, please inform your officer of my authority."

"I am very sorry, Inspector. In the engineering section of this ship, there is no higher authority than Commander Scott's. As for the modifications you have come to make, final authority of any changes you make is his and his alone."

Angry fire lit the inspector's eyes. "We shall see about that."

* * *

"Admiral Donovan, how am I supposed to do my job if I have to check with him before I do anything?"

"Inspector, it is Commander Scott's engine room. He has orders of his own to make certain that your modifications are functional. You have the theories, but he has the practical knowledge to make those theories work."

"Our theories are sound, sir. The modifications will work as designed."

"That is up to him to determine. Cooperate with him, Inspector, and things will go smoothly. Those are your orders. Donovan out."

Beauregard stared at the blank screen. She did not like being subordinate to anyone in the field, and Scott had already impressed her as cocky and arrogant. She would take great pleasure in bringing him down a peg or two. No one could be as good as everyone seemed to think he was. No one…and she was going to prove it.

* * *

Beauregard studied the circuitry in front of her. "You've got to be kidding."

Scott looked over his shoulder from where he was working. "What's wrong?"

"Would you mind explaining this to me, Commander?"

Sighing heavily, he rose and crossed the room, looking over her shoulder. "What?"

"Nothing in there looks wrong to you?"

Scott studied the circuitry. "No."

With her finger, she traced the wiring that troubled her. Scott laughed. "What's wrong with that?"

"It shouldn't be there."

"An' why not?"

She turned to face him. "Commander Scott, is there a circuit or relay on this vessel you have not modified, changed, removed or rerouted?"

Scott's expression looked thoughtful. "No, I don't think so."

"You are not taking this seriously," she accused.

He leaned back against a console and folded his arms in front of him. "Inspector," he said patiently. "Have you ever served on an active duty starship?"

"No, I haven't."

He took a deep breath. "Lives depend on me doing my job. When a new situation comes up, I have to respond to it in a way that can get us out of it. Sometimes that requires me to ignore the textbooks and specifications of the ship's engineering systems. Sometimes it requires changes that aren't in the book. Always it requires me to know this ship and every ounce of potential she has. I simply do my best to maximize that potential under very difficult circumstances. When the captain asks the impossible of me, I give it to him. It's that simple."

"Simple, is it? So what do I put in my report? 'Modifications exist in every system but the chief engineer insists they work fine.'"

Scott was losing patience. "Put whatever you feel you must. I do my job and every system on this ship is in perfect operating condition, I guarantee. If you find a single system, anywhere on this ship, that is not, I will rewire every circuit on the ship by hand."

"You're pretty damn cocky, Commander Scott."

Scott met her eyes with a look that dared her to find anything wrong with his ship. "I know my job, Inspector Beauregard. Do you?"

She watched him walk away. She and Scott had not hit it off well at all, from their first encounter in the transporter room. His professional pride was so easy to offend. The first time she found one of his modifications, she'd been furious. Now she expected them. She had taken the opportunity to talk with some of his engineers, and their loyalty to the man was unwavering. There wasn't an engineer among them who would question any order he gave. She watched him stop to confer with Kincaid, noticing the change in his demeanor, a change that existed in some degree with every engineer he had. Perhaps that was his normal self and the negative change in him was solely for her benefit. She didn't care either way. The man annoyed her and she was still convinced she could prove he was not as good as his reputation said he was.

* * *

Scott pulled himself from under the console he was working on, rose and stretched. Kincaid was nearby, finishing her own work. He watched her for a minute before he called to her. "Lieutenant, why don't you call it a day?"

"I will, Chief. As soon as I finish this."

"I can finish that for you."

She looked at him. "Why?"

"There's no reason you have to be subjected to Inspector Beauregard, too, and I'm sure she'll be along shortly."

Kincaid laughed lightly, her laughter charming him as it always did. "She doesn't bother me quite the way she does you. You know, she's taken up the gauntlet."

"What gauntlet?"

"She is determined to find something wrong somewhere in this section."

"Let her look. You know as well as I do that she won't find anything."

"Yes, but I don't think she's ever done such a thorough inspection in her career."

He laughed, completely amused. No one could turn a foul mood or lift his spirits like this woman could. He was relieved that he could rely on her, but his heart was telling him more and more that he didn't want to be without her, ever. "Thank you, lass."

"For what?"

"Just for being here."

She smiled at his answer. "Just what do you mean by that?"

A voice came from behind him. "I'd be interested in your answer, too, Commander."

Beauregard came from around a console into the room. Scott gave her an annoyed glance. "Forgive us, Inspector. The conversation did not involve you." He turned back to Kincaid and inclined his head toward a nearby door. "Good night, lieutenant."

She held his gaze for a moment as she was wont to do, and his eyes smiled at her. "Good night, Chief," she said affectionately. She looked at Beauregard. "Inspector."

He watched her leave the area and walked over to where she had been working. Beauregard followed him. "Why didn't you make her finish her work?"

"I told her to take off, Inspector. The lieutenant works harder than any of my other engineers and when I have the opportunity to let her take a break, I am pleased to be able to give her that."

"Isn't hard work part of the job?"

"Absolutely. But I never ask of my people what I am not willing to do myself. Do not question my decisions, Inspector. I answer to no one in this section. The decisions I make regarding my engineers do not, in any way, concern you or your inspection. The lieutenant is off duty and I have work to do."

Annoyed, Beauregard huffed from the room. Scott smiled and quickly completed the work Kincaid had almost finished. Then he sought out the inspector to see what she was up to. He walked to where she was working and leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. She looked at him, annoyed. "Don't you have something better to do, Commander?"

"At the moment? No."

She turned away, visibly angry. He knew why she was angry and he smiled. "Are you having difficulty finding something wrong with my systems, Inspector?"

She didn't turn around as she cleaned her hands on a rag. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Commander."

He laughed and she turned on him. Walking toward him, she lashed out. "You have ignored the operational specifications of the entire engineering section of this starship. You have rerouted, rewired and revamped damn near every system I have inspected."

He absorbed her rage without flinching, and the amused look did not leave his face. She did not intimidate him in any way, and that only added to her fury. "And have you found anything wrong with the operation of one of those systems?" he challenged.

"That isn't the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"Are you done for the day, Commander?"

"Not quite."

"I am. Good night."

He watched her leave the section, grinning. From nearby, a voice said, "She really doesn't like you, does she, Chief?"

"No, Ray, I don't think she does."

"It galls the hell out of her that she can't find anything wrong around here."

Scott laughed. "Doesn't it, though? What are you still doing down here, lad?"

"I was just finishing up. I'm done."

Scott looked at the young man and gave him an affectionate grin. "Then have a good night, laddie."

Preston returned his chief's smile. "You, too, Chief."

He watched Scott walk off to finish up for the day. For the first time, he felt that he and Wilson were going to make it in Star Fleet, and they owed that chance to Scott. They could never repay the man for that, even though he knew that was something they would never be required to do.

* * *

Scott had already been at work for over an hour when Beauregard came into the section to begin her day. She watched him as he worked with Kincaid. She had to admit the two engineers worked well together. "You don't sleep, do you, Commander?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "Good morning, Inspector. Ready for another challenging day?"

"Can't you just say hello?"

He turned back to his work, looking at Kincaid and giving her a wink. The first engineer turned back to her work with a smile.

Muttering under her breath, the inspector picked up a clipboard and walked off to begin her day.

* * *

"Come over here, Commander Scott."

Scott finished the connection he was making and set his tool down. He crossed the room and squatted down beside Beauregard. "What's wrong?"

"I want you to explain this to me."

She moved out of the way and he looked into the machine. Without sounding too condescending, he explained why the power had been rerouted through a seemingly unrelated subsystem. She was amazed but she kept it carefully hidden. Scott knew these systems better than the people who designed them. But why shouldn't he? He worked with them every day. Even so, his knowledge was more than learned. It seemed instinctual. He knew this ship—every circuit, every conduit, probably every wire. He turned back from the open panel. "Do you want me to go over that again?"

"Commander Scott, I know the systems and the engineering of a starship. That is what I do for a living. Granted I am not familiar with what you have done to this ship, but by the time I leave here, I will be. I understood everything you said. Now you may go back to your work."

He bowed at her and walked away. She hated it when he did that! She just wished she could find one thing wrong—just one thing. But he was too careful. His technical alterations were unique, but that didn't make him careless. On the contrary, he had been able to offer perfectly reasonable and now obvious explanations for every wire that was out of place. She turned back to the panel and looked in at the circuitry. It was now entirely clear what he'd done and why. 'Damn him,' she muttered softly.


	8. A Marriage of Fire and Water

Beauregard came back from lunch ten minutes after Scott had left. She studied the work he'd been doing, noting without surprise that he wasn't following the technical specifications exactly. Shaking her head, she resolved to prove once and for all that his changes were unnecessary. She made a few adjustments to bring the modifications back under the proper specifications.

* * *

Scott returned from lunch and went back to work. He had no reason to think anyone would touch the work he'd been doing. He powered up the panel and looked inside the console. Beauregard's changes were immediately apparent and he swore. A power arc lit up the inside of the machine and it exploded as he dove out of the way.

All four inspectors and several engineers came running as the furious chief engineer got to his feet. A laceration above his eye bled freely as did one that cut into his chest, visible through a tear in his shirt. He turned toward the advancing inspectors. "Who the hell tampered with that machine?"

He was a tolerant man, but he would not put up with any unauthorized changes to his work. His engineers knew that. Beauregard did not seem bothered by his anger. "What makes you think anyone touched it?"

"I know what I'm doing, dammit, and I know what I've done. Someone changed what I did in there."

The engineers looked at each other, shocked that anyone would be brazen enough to touch anything Scott was working on. Beauregard met the chief engineer's eyes. "You were not following the designated specifications."

A few of the engineers stepped back from the group. Scott's anger had not abated at all, and they knew enough to stay out of his way. "Well, now you know why, don't you? Stop second guessing me, Inspector. I am not an Academy midshipman. I know what the hell I'm doing. I've been doing it all my life."

Kincaid could read Scott better than anyone. She knew from his tense stance and clenched fists that someone was in danger of being punched out, and woman or not, Beauregard was at the top of his list. The first engineer deftly stepped between her chief and the inspector. She touched Scott's arm, pulling his attention away from Beauregard. "You really need to have Dr. McCoy look at your injuries."

He unclenched his fists, though he was still furious. He didn't take his eyes from Kincaid right away. She didn't back down. She knew her place and right now she was looking out for his well-being as well as the section's. It wouldn't do at all for him to lay a hand on the inspector. Brian Ferguson, one of the other inspectors, spoke up. "She's right, Scotty. You should get those injuries looked at."

"Come on," Kincaid urged him, lightly pulling at his arm.

The chief engineer visibly relaxed, and so did the engineers who knew him so well. He would deal with Beauregard, but not in a state of anger. Kincaid looked about and motioned at Preston, who stood nearby. "Mr. Preston, you and Mr. Wilson get busy cleaning up that mess."

Preston nodded. "Yes, sir."

Scott wiped blood from his eye and glared at Beauregard. "You should know what your place is, Inspector. I suggest you not forget it again. Do not touch anything you don't understand. I'm more than willing to explain anything to you. I won't be gone long."

He headed from the section. Kincaid walked with him away from the group as it dissipated and everyone went back to work. Softly, he said, "Thank you."

"Just doing my job," she answered lightly.

"And then some."

"Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Keep an eye on that inspector, lass. I'll be right back."

"Don't worry."

"With you around? I have nothing to worry about." He smiled at her and continued from the section. She watched him leave and then went back to work.

* * *

Beauregard approached Kincaid as she helped Preston and Wilson get things back in order after the minor explosion. "Lieutenant."

Kincaid looked at the inspector. "Yes, Inspector."

"A word, if I may?"

Reluctantly, she turned away from her work and stepped away from the console with Beauregard. The inspector asked, "How do you work with that man?"

"I am not constantly at odds with him, Inspector. I know better than to question what he does and I'm not constantly looking for him to screw up."

"But you are a woman."

"Do you think that's what this is all about? Inspector, he has no reason to feel threatened by anyone. Man, woman, admiral, or civilian, it makes no difference. You came onto this ship challenging him and second guessing him every step of the way. You have been confrontational and interfering. I don't blame him one bit for the way he responds to you. I am his first engineer and I am his friend, but more than that, Inspector, I understand him and I respect him. It might not be a bad idea for you to show him at least a modicum of respect. He's earned it. Now please excuse me. I have work to do."

Beauregard watched the pretty engineer return to the work at hand. Her eyes narrowed and she walked away. She would find no allies among the engineers on this ship. Even her own inspectors respected and liked the chief engineer. She was alone, it seemed, in both her dislike and distrust of the Enterprise's chief engineer.

Preston grinned broadly at Kincaid after Beauregard was gone. "Way to go, Tiger. The chief will be proud of you."

She allowed herself a small smile and said, "Get back to work, Ray."

He chuckled and did as she ordered.

* * *

McCoy glanced up and did a double take as Scott walked into Sickbay. "What the hell happened to you?"

"An interfering inspector."

He led Scott to a diagnostic bed and studied the engineer's injuries. "I'll bet you have one hell of a headache," McCoy muttered.

"Just stop the bleeding so I can get back to work."

"Don't snap at me. I didn't do it."

"I'm sorry, Doc. I am very aggravated right now."

"So what happened?"

"One of the inspectors decided to experiment with something I was working on, and the damn thing exploded."

A look of surprise crossed the doctor's face. "Someone messed around with your work?"

"Aye. I tell you, I'll be glad when all these inspectors are off my ship.'"

"Can't say I blame you. I've heard they're giving you a hard time."

"Not they. Just one."

"Well, hang in there, Scotty. They'll be gone soon enough."

The doctor finished and Scott hopped off the table. "Thanks, Doc."

"Just take it easy, will you? You have a mild concussion. Be glad you got a glancing blow."

"Aye. I'll be fine."

The chief engineer left. McCoy contemplated bringing Scott's problem to Kirk, but then thought the better of it. Whatever was going on down there, Scott was fully able to handle it. He made a mental note to check on Scott after dinner and went back to his work.

* * *

Scott stood in front of the damaged machinery, shaking his head. Kincaid crossed the room to stand beside him as soon as she noticed him there. "You ok?"

"Fine."

He was still bloody and his shirt was torn. "Do you want to get cleaned up?"

"Not now. I have a lot of work to do. Did she cause any more trouble?"

"No."

"Good. Let's get busy."

The two engineers were busy repairing what would never have had to be repaired were it not for the woman who now approached them. "Commander?"

Scott looked out from under the machine to where Beauregard stood near Kincaid. His eyes strayed to his first engineer, then back to the inspector. "What?"

"Look, I apologize for touching…

"You didn't just touch, Inspector. You changed it. You tampered with the work I was doing. Your 'by the book' modifications had a hidden crossed circuit which initiated a power feedback that caused that explosion. Now, that's fine if you're into pyrotechnics, but I'm not and this is my ship. I am an engineer, and I know what I'm doing. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from touching anything without supervision." He got to his feet and looked straight at Beauregard. "And that, Inspector, is a warning, not a request."

Beauregard growled at him, "Don't you dare threaten me, mister."

Kincaid swore under her breath. The angry chief engineer faced the equally angry inspector. "'Threaten?' I'm sorry, but did I say threaten? Lieutenant, did you hear me threaten the inspector?"

"No, sir." Kincaid really didn't want to be dragged into this, but she would always stand by Scott, no matter what.

Beauregard shoved Kincaid aside and stepped toward Scott. "Mind your own business, lieutenant."

Scott's eyes flared. "Inspector, you are walking a fine line. Do what you will with me, and that's fine, but do not, ever, mistreat my engineers. I do not make threats. You have no idea how lucky you are that I was the only one injured in that explosion."

Beauregard stepped up to him and snarled, "And just what would you do about it?"

"I guarantee you would not set foot in this engine room again. I am the chief engineer and final authority in this section is mine and mine alone." He was getting very tired of saying that to her.

"I challenge that."

"Challenge it all you want. You have your orders and I have mine. If I tell Admiral Donovan the modifications are not functional as they are, then you go back to the drawing board. Now I can make these improvements work, but if you're going to continue this abusive behavior, I will call the admiral right now and have this project withdrawn from my ship."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

Without warning, Beauregard lost her temper and hit the chief engineer with a closed fist. Her blow was hard and unexpected, across the injured side of his face. Scott went down on one knee and Kincaid, shocked, stepped to his side. The laceration above his eye was reopened and Scott was beyond furious. He slowly got to his feet, ignoring the blood running into his eye. His right hand was balled into a fist but Kincaid grabbed his arm and held it. "No," she hissed into his ear as she went through the motions of helping him stand. "She's not worth it."

She felt his arm relax and turned loose her grip on him. It would take very little to push him over the edge, but he was in control. He glared at Beauregard but Kincaid ran interference. "That was uncalled for, Inspector Beauregard."

"You are out of line, lieutenant."

"No, I am not. I am second in command of this section. You had no call to hit him."

"Watch your step or you'll be next."

"Be my guest," she challenged.

There was no anger in her voice and her calm demeanor further infuriated Beauregard. The enraged inspector swung hard at the first engineer, but her blow was blocked by Scott. Prepared for the punch, it merely glanced off his arm. "I think you are done for the day, Inspector Beauregard. Get the hell out of my section right now before I have security remove you."

"I…"

"Now." He did not raise his voice, but there was enough warning in his tone that she thought twice about challenging him again.

"Make no mistake, Commander. Your captain and Admiral Donovan will hear of this."

She turned and stormed from the section. Scott watched her leave. "That they will."

Kincaid said quietly, "I don't trust her, Scotty."

He looked at her, all anger gone from his eyes. "Neither do I."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He almost smiled. "You are making a habit of being right there when I need you."

"Isn't that my job? Besides, I am not after your job. I like things just the way they are."

He nodded. "So do I." He wiped the blood from his eyes. "Ach, dammit."

"Back to sickbay." She gave him a small grin.

He smiled back at her then sighed heavily. "Do me a favor."

"Name it."

"Watch my back. I do not trust that woman. If you hadn't been here, there's no telling what she'd say to the captain and Admiral Donovan."

"The captain knows you. He knows you wouldn't lie to him."

"I know. Donovan does, too. But it helps to have a witness. Just be around whenever we're on duty."

"And what about off duty? It's not that big a ship, you know."

"Let's play it by ear."

"Just let me know. I can have Ray and Carl hanging about, too. They're good at that."

"Aye, they are."

"Go let McCoy look at that cut." She touched the bruise below his eye and he winced. "Lovely," she almost grinned.

"Thanks. I'll be back shortly."

Smiling, she watched him go before she turned back to what she'd been doing before Beauregard interrupted them.

* * *

Scott walked into sickbay, looking for McCoy. He found him in his office. The surgeon looked up, studied his friend and shook his head. "I already patched that up once today, didn't I?"

"Just fix it up so I can get back to work."

"What happened this time?"

"Never mind."

It took McCoy no time at all to fix up Scott's injury. "Now you know me better than that."

"I don't want to get into it right now."

"Scotty…"

"Not now."

Before the surgeon could protest further, Kirk walked into the room. "There you are, Scotty."

"Hello, Captain."

Kirk studied Scott's bruised and bloody face. "You know why I'm here."

"I can guess. What'd she tell you?"

He knew. Kirk sighed. "Did you hit her?"

"Hit her? No, sir. Did she say I did?"

"Not directly. Did you throw her out of engineering?"

"Not exactly, sir. I told her she was done for the day and she'd better leave."

"And you threatened her?"

"No, sir. I warned her. I'll not have her tampering with my systems and abusing my engineers."

"I don't have the full story, do I?"

"I doubt it."

"She did call you stubborn, cocky, arrogant and difficult," Kirk grinned. He knew his chief engineer. "And she says she wants you removed from the project because you are interfering with the work she is trying to do."

Scott took a deep breath. Kirk could not miss anger in Scott's eyes. "I suppose from her perspective I am stubborn and difficult. As for being cocky and arrogant… Captain, I know my job. I know my engines and their systems. There's not a circuit on this ship I am not familiar with. You never interfere with my job and I'll not take interference from her or anyone else. If she wants these modifications installed and operational, then I will make them work. As it is, I have no idea what it is she wants. My engineers and I spend the days trying to get her modifications installed and working properly. She spends her days trying to find something wrong with my work. She is verbally abusive to my engineers and I don't have to put up with that. She is becoming physically abusive and I will not take that. You know that I am all for increasing the efficiency and power of these engines, as long as no harm comes to them. I can make these changes functional…if she'll let me. If she wants me removed from the project, that's fine. I'll step away with no argument. But the project leaves my ship. I will not allow these changes to be made unmodified to my engines."

"Why, Scotty?"

"I'm not being difficult, Captain. You know me better than that. As they stand, these changes are dangerous. There are power feedbacks and energy loops that wouldn't be expected on paper. But in practice, they're there and they can cause dangerous problems. Admiral Donovan was a field engineer; he'd know that. Being practical engineers, the inspectors wouldn't. I guess knowing how Beauregard is about the project, and how I am about my engine room, Donovan saw a marriage of fire and water, but he also knew that if it could work, and work safely, this ship is the one to test them out on. I am not afraid to tell him the honest truth about whether they'll work or not. And I will not back down to Beauregard."

Kirk nodded. "But you didn't hit her?"

"Captain, you know me better than that. I won't lie to you, sir. I wanted to, more than once today. But my first engineer was on hand both times, and she wouldn't let me."

Kirk laughed. "Good for her."

Scott didn't smile. "I've asked her to stay close by, sir. I can't promise I won't get angry, and there's no telling how angry I'll get. Kincaid can keep me from stepping over the line. I don't know how she does it; I just know she does."

Kirk nodded. Scott was not an impulsive man. He realized that Beauregard could potentially push him over the edge and he would retaliate. Kirk couldn't blame him for that. "All right, Scotty. I leave it in your hands, and I'll trust Kincaid to take care of you."

"She always does."

Kirk looked at McCoy, who smiled; then the captain asked, "Do you want to tell me what happened to you?"

"A minor mishap courtesy of the inspector."

"Second one of the day," McCoy added.

"I'll expect a full report from you."

"If I must, sir."

"You must."

"Aye, sir."


	9. Runaway Ship

It was very late and Kincaid found Scott on one of the ship's observation decks…on _his _observation deck. Small and out of the way, few others chose to use it. She stood by the door and watched him. He was sitting on one of the couches near the larger of the room's two viewports, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He had a half-full glass in his hands. Quietly, she said, "I've been looking for you. You haven't been in your quarters."

He glanced over his shoulder and looked at her. "No. I've been here for awhile."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

She crossed the room and sat beside him. She was quiet for a minute, then she said softly, "Don't let her do this to you, Chief."

"What?"

"You're still upset. It's not worth it."

"It's my job to fret over my engines."

"No it's not. It's your job to keep them running. It's your heart that frets over them."

He took a drink. "Maybe. The damage she did today was minor. It might not have been, though. You know that. Look at some of the changes we're implementing. She could very easily have caused major damage."

"But she didn't."

"That's entirely beside the point, Fallon."

"She's very protective of this project, you know."

"I noticed. I threatened her project and she exploded."

"Just like a mother protecting her child. Or like you, protecting your engines. And she doesn't like you changing things either."

"I know, but every theory undergoes some changes in the field. You can't be inflexible and she is. I don't particularly care for her violent temper, either."

"From what I've seen, you're the only one who inspires that from her. I talked with Inspector Ferguson and he's shocked. He has never seen her like this, and he's worked with her for years."

Scott laughed. "Nice to know I have that kind of effect on someone."

Kincaid only smiled. He had an effect on others, too, whether he knew it or not. She was amazed at the changes in Preston and Wilson. And she knew only too well the effect he had always had on her.

He rose from the sofa and finished his drink, dropping the glass into the disposal unit. "How many have you had?" she asked.

"Just three. I have to work tomorrow, remember?"

He came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. Leaning down, he rested his cheek against the side of her head and said softly, "Thank you, love." Lightly, he kissed her cheek. "Good night."

"Good night, chief."

She closed her eyes. The scent of the whiskey on his breath along with his closeness brought back very strong memories of that night on Starbase 12. There was no denying how strongly she felt about him, especially in the relaxed setting of the off-duty environment. And still she wondered if he felt it as strongly as she did.

* * *

It was 6:30 when Kincaid reported for duty the next morning shortly after the chief engineer. Karlisle looked up at her. "He's in his office and he wants to see you right away."

"What happened?"

"He'll tell you, but I'll warn you: he's not in a good mood."

"Great. Thanks, Troy."

Scott was seated at his desk when she entered the office. He looked up. She said, "Wow, look at that eye."

"Nice, isn't it? Sit down."

"What happened?" she asked as she sat down. "Troy said you're in a bad mood."

"That's putting it mildly. Guess who came back down after we went off duty yesterday?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Do you think I am?"

"What did she do?"

"Nothing. Steve watched her closely and he said all she did was review the work we had been doing. But that's not the point. The only reason she came down was to show me that she doesn't recognize my authority down here."

"Do you want my advice?"

"Go ahead."

"Let it go."

"What?"

"Let it go. She is looking for a rise from you. Don't give her the satisfaction. She knows that you are the chief engineer and she knows you have the authority to end this project. Now she's just trying to get you mad. She's succeeded, but don't let her know that. It's what she's looking for. We have your back, chief. We're watching her."

She made sense, as usual. After some silent consideration he finally nodded. "All right, lieutenant. I'll try it your way."

"You have time to calm down before she starts her day. You've done a great job this past week at keeping your temper. Don't blow it now."

He laughed, his bad mood moderated. "Go on to work. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir," she answered, smiling at him. Before getting up, she asked, "Does your eye hurt?"

"My whole head hurts, but don't worry about it. I'm fine. McCoy said it was to be expected."

"You had a concussion yesterday, didn't you?"

"A mild one. I've had much worse. Now go on."

She nodded. "Let me know if you need me."

He watched her leave the room. He was beginning to realize that he would always need her. He sighed, rubbed his forehead and returned to reviewing the reports from the previous two shifts.

* * *

It had been a very long day and Scott had spent most of it angry and in pain. He sat heavily in a chair and rested his throbbing forehead on his hand. It was the first time he'd had a chance to rest all day and he hadn't realized how exhausted he was. "Are you feeling all right, Scotty?" came a voice from behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder at Kincaid. "I'm fine," he answered.

"You don't look fine," she said tentatively, concerned about him.

"I said I'm fine, lieutenant," he snapped. He immediately regretted his tone. "I'm sorry. You know the kind of day I've had."

"You look tired."

"I'm exhausted."

"I'd say take some time off, but I know better. Anyway, Inspector Beauregard sent me to find you. She needs to harass you some more."

He rubbed his temples, wincing at the continued pain. "Just what I need."

* * *

The two engineers joined the four inspectors in Engineering Central. Beauregard glared at Scott. "Are you ready to test the engines, Commander?"

"I would feel better if we could recheck everything."

"Do you doubt your work?"

"No, but I haven't had the chance to check what you have done."

"There's no need for you to check my work, Commander Scott."

"Did you make the changes I told you were needed?"

"Yes. Now let's test it out."

Something told Scott it was a bad idea, but Kirk had told him that afternoon to do his best to work with the woman. So he was conceding this to her. They would test the engines. It was a concession he would live to regret.

"All right, lads. Let's see what she can do."

The two engineers brought the warp engines on line as Scott called the bridge. "We're going to see what she can do, Captain. The mains are on-line. Mr. Sulu can sit back and take it easy. I'll take her into warp from here."

"Good luck, Mr. Scott."

"Thank you, sir." He nodded at his engineers and said, "Let's take her to warp one."

The engines came to life and Scott frowned. They sounded ok, but they felt wrong. "Something isn't right," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Beauregard asked. "Everything is fine. All indicators are green."

Ferguson nodded. "She's right, Scotty. Everything is perfect."

"No," Scott answered. "Everything isn't perfect." He looked at Kincaid. "What do you think?"

"Everything seems ok, but if you are feeling that something is wrong, maybe we should abort and check things over."

He nodded, but Beauregard stepped forward. "No. You two will not gang up on me again today. We are going through with this test. I…"

The ship suddenly lurched. Preston swore. "Sir, we just jumped to warp five. My stomach is still at warp one."

Wilson was reading a monitor three meters away. "Warp six, sir."

Scott swore. This wasn't going to end well and he knew it. He ran to a nearby monitor and studied the schematics of the modifications they'd made. Specifically, he was looking at what Beauregard had done, his mind racing to figure out what was causing the engines to run away. "Inspector."

"What?" She joined him and looked over his shoulder.

"Did you make all the changes I told you to?"

"I made most of the changes you suggested."

_Most...son of a bitch..._ "But not that one, right?"

She looked at where he pointed. "That's one of the things I felt was fine as it was."

Scott took a deep breath. "If you had done what I told you to do…" He stopped. It was pointless. This was going from bad to worse. He hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Kincaid, grab a tool chest and let's go." He looked at Preston. "Get Bradbury or Karlisle down here. I'll let you know if I need anything. Make sure the captain knows what's going on." His gaze shifted to Beauregard. "This is what I was trying to avoid. My ship is now in danger. I'll deal with you later."

He only hoped there would be a later for him to do that.

* * *

"What's our speed now?" Scott called out from the crawlway.

"Warp eight…no, she just jumped to 9.2."

"Damn."

"Are we going to be able to contain this?"

"I hope so." He slid out of the crawlway and closed the hatch. Crossing the room, he began to open another hatch. She laid a hand over his. He met her eyes. "I know. This isn't meant to be used when we're at warp. What choice do I have?"

"Just be careful."

"You know what's going to happen."

"Yes, sir. I know."

"Be ready."

When he came out of that crawlway, they would fall from warp. The ship would remain intact and her crew would be safe. What he could not guarantee, however, was the area around them. His gut knew that something bad would happen. What he couldn't predict, though, was how immediate it would be—they might have seconds, or as long as a minute. He doubted they'd have more than that. He could also not predict the severity of the explosion…or whether they would survive it. All he knew for sure was that the ship would be ok and that he and Kincaid would not.


	10. Repercussions

Kincaid coughed as the dust settled around her. Scott had jumped out of the crawlway and grabbed her. He'd pushed her under a console moments before the room around them vanished in a flash and a roar. She crawled out and looked around, holding her injured arm. She had escaped serious injury, thanks to the chief engineer. Her head hurt and she was bleeding, but not badly. She had another bad laceration on her thigh and her injured arm was throbbing. The emergency lights were on, but they were dim. From what she could see, the damage was extensive. "Scotty?"

No answer.

She looked around until she found him. Her heart sank; there was blood everywhere. "Scotty…"

He was just coming around as she knelt beside him. She wiped blood from his forehead as he groaned and opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to focus on her, and when he did, he rested his head back on the floor. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm not badly hurt. What about you? Where does it hurt?"

He tried to laugh but only managed a groan. "Where doesn't it hurt?"

She looked around. "I'll be right back."

There were first aid stations throughout the engineering section. They held an assortment of basic supplies that might be needed in case of an emergency, along with a small supply of medication in a locked container requiring a combination to access. She pulled the box from the nearest station and headed back to the chief engineer. She stopped for an emergency light and tried to call the bridge or sickbay from several comm panels with no luck. She knelt beside Scott. "It looks like we're stuck here until they find us. Communications are out."

"How bad is it?"

"What? Your injuries?"

He shook his head, "No, lass. Look around. Assess the damage and give me a report."

She stared at him for a moment. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm serious."

"Does it matter? We did what we were supposed to do. The ship is intact but we have to head in to a repair base to fix it. And I have to do what I can for you."

He eased himself up into a sitting position, leaning his back against the bulkhead. "Humor me, love. I'm okay."

She studied him carefully. "I'll make a deal with you. Let me take care of you first, then I'll give you a full report on what I can tell of the damage."

"Not open to negotiation, are you?"

"Not at the moment."

He smiled at her and she was able to see the smile in his eyes despite the pain. "All right," he muttered. "You have a deal."

She opened the first aid kit and gently examined him. He closed his eyes and let his mind focus on the touch of her hands and away from his pain. He visibly relaxed. She bandaged his head wound, his shoulder and a nasty gash on his side. "We were both lucky. This could have been so much worse for both of us."

She coaxed him to sit forward and examined his back, but found no injury. Much of the blood seemed to have come from his head wound. Since there didn't seem to be any other serious injury, she relaxed. Pulling a clean towel from the first aid kit, she moistened it with a little water from a bottle in a survival kit she'd recovered and gently cleaned the blood from his face. He closed his eyes, briefly enjoying her touch and the reprieve it gave him from his pain. He reached up, reluctantly, and closed his hand on her arm. "Go assess the damage, love."

She looked at him. "Scotty…"

"We had a deal."

"I know, but…"

"Fallon…"

"Why does it matter? We can't fix it anyway."

"I'm the chief engineer. I have to know the state of my section. You know that."

She sighed impatiently. "All right, chief. All right. I'll be back shortly." She grabbed the light and left. She returned thirty minutes later, carrying a small box. Standing a few feet away she watched him. He had moved into a corner so he could close his eyes and rest without tipping over. Though his eyes were closed, his breathing was steady. He heard her move and opened his eyes, looking at her expectantly. "Well?"

"You really don't want to know, do you?"

"That bad, huh? Tell me about it."

She knelt beside him again and went over the details of what she had seen. Then she studied his face quietly for a moment before asking, "How are you doing?"

He almost grinned. "You really don't want to know."

She smoothed back his bloody hair and he closed his eyes at her touch. Softly she asked, "What are you going to do about this?"

"You mean Beauregard?"

"Yes."

"For starters, I'm pulling the plug on these modifications of hers. If she can't follow my instructions, she can find another ship to blow up."

"Oh, she'll love that." She was quiet for a minute. "You knew something was wrong when none of the rest of us did. I mean, I love engineering. You know that. But to feel with the ship like that…" She shook her head. "I wish I knew how to do that. I'll never be the engineer you are."

"I'd teach you if I could. I don't know how it happens. It just does."

"I guess that's why you're the chief engineer."

"Don't sell yourself short, darlin'. You are one hell of an engineer…one of the best I have ever known."

She smiled, pleased as always at his praise. "I try, and maybe that's the difference between us. You don't have to try and I do."

"Fallon, you have a natural talent..."

He stopped suddenly after trying to reposition himself and could not suppress a groan of pain. He turned his head away from her, but not before she saw the pain that filled his eyes. She watched him for a few moments. "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"

He shook his head. "How about just talking to me?"

"About what?"

"I don't care. I just want to take my mind off things."

"Things? Like what?"

He almost laughed. "Never mind. Let's just talk."

She settled down beside him, leaning gently against his side, and thought for a moment, then said, "All right, tell me about your home."

"My home?"

"Yes. I want to hear about Kinarney."

"Ah. The place you remember as magical."

She was surprised he remembered that. "The same place you remember as home."

He smiled. "It's just a small town. Quiet, now that I've left."

"Now that you've left? What do you mean?"

"I told you once that I was a lot like Ray and Carl. I wasn't kidding. I was a bit of a hell raiser, even as a lad. I got worse after I graduated from the Academy. Now when I go back home, I go for the peace I have always found there."

"Do your parents still live there?"

"In the same house I grew up in."

"Are you an only child?"

"No. I have a little sister. I was ten when she was born. Broke her heart when I left home. She's married now, to a lad who hates me because I don't think he's good enough for my little sister."

"Is anyone?"

"Probably not," he chuckled, guarding his injured ribs, which burned with the movement of his quiet laughter. "I must still have that roguish streak in me, though. I can antagonize Kieran without even trying."

"You told me that you had the sense to get serious before you really got into trouble like Ray and Carl have. Were you really that bad?"

"You read Ray and Carl's records. You know what kind of mischief they've gotten into. Right?"

"Yes."

"I was worse. A lot bolder. I had no fear, and no sense. If it hadn't been for my chief, I'd have been in the brig after more than one leave. Ray likes to start fights. I don't remember starting many, but I never walked away from one and never left one unfinished."

"So what happened to straighten you out?"

He was very quiet, remembering the incident that had nearly cost him his life and his career. He hadn't thought about it in a long time. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk about it, even now. "It was a long time ago, and it left a lot of scars. Get me drunk some time and maybe I'll be able to talk about it."

She could tell that whatever memories that past event held for him, it was very painful. He turned his dark eyes, still bright with pain, back toward her and changed the subject. "What about you, love?"

"What about me?"

"Any brothers or sisters?"

"One of each."

"You lived in Aberdeen…"

"I did. And I loved it there."

"So why'd you leave?"

"It's complicated. What it boils down to is my parents didn't believe me when it really counted so I left and spent the rest of my childhood with my aunt and uncle in London. That's where my scars are. So maybe someday you can get me drunk and I'll tell you about it."

She shifted slightly to look at him, drawing her knees up to rest her chin on them. She kept looking at him, and he didn't turn away. He was in pain and had neither the energy nor the inclination to fight with himself. He laid his hand on hers, hesitated, then gently drew her into a warm hug. He sighed heavily as he held her, then softly asked, "What the hell are we going to do?"

"Well, your bleeding has stopped…"

"That's not what I'm talking about."

She pulled back and looked into his pain-filled eyes. Her fingers caressed the side of his face, and very gently she touched her lips to his. She pulled back and looked into his tired, pain-filled eyes. His resolve faded and his reserve crumbled; he was no longer able to fight the deep emotions that constantly threatened to overwhelm him. He drew her into his arms and kissed her.

* * *

_Let's check over here._

Kincaid woke with a start. Scott slept soundly, and she suddenly worried that she had let him fall asleep. But he seemed to be resting easily so she let him sleep and slid out from under his arm, careful not to disturb him. She rose to her feet and listened carefully. She could have sworn she heard voices. In the distance, she heard the bang of metal and a softly muttered swear. Yes, she had heard voices! Kneeling beside her chief, she touched his warm cheek. "I'll be right back," she whispered to him. Then she got up and headed in the direction of the voices.

"Will you just look at this mess," Preston muttered, rubbing his shin and shining his light around. "The chief is going to have a fit."

"No kidding," Wilson answered.

Both men were struggling to be optimistic. The damage surrounding them was extensive, and this was the last area they knew Scott and Kincaid to have been in. They also knew they shouldn't be there, and they were disobeying Bradbury's orders in being there at all. As concerned as any of them, Bradbury was also far more cautious than the two young men. He knew that the areas affected by the explosion could be unstable. He'd ordered his engineers to stay put and go about their normal routine as close as they possibly could. He was in the process of organizing and equipping search parties to look for the missing engineers as quickly and safely as possible. But realizing the extent of the damage, and knowing where they had been at the time, he didn't hold out much hope for their survival. Preston sensed that pessimism in Bradbury and felt the acting chief engineer wasn't moving quickly enough. If Scott and Kincaid were injured, they needed help sooner rather than later. So he and Wilson took matters into their own hands and went in search of their chief and his first engineer.

"Ok, Ray. Where do we go now?"

Preston looked around them. They were close to where the explosion had originated. "Geez, Carl. If they were anywhere around here…"

Both men stopped suddenly. "What was that?" Wilson asked.

"Sounds like someone kicked a can across the floor." They looked around with their lights and listened. "Anybody there?" he called.

"Ray?" came a tentative answer.

"Fallon? Where the hell are you?"

"Over here."

Following her voice, the two men found her moments later, hugging her out of relief and joy. Preston examined her. "Are you okay?"

"A few injuries, nothing lethal."

"Then where'd the blood come from?"

For the first time she noticed the blood on her uniform and her hands. There was more there than she would have thought. "Most of it's not my blood."

"The chief? Where is he?"

"This way."

She led them to where Scott was still sleeping against the wall. Preston studied his fallen chief. "Oh, my God. Is he as bad as he looks?" he whispered.

Scott stirred and grumbled, "Do I look that bad?"

The three engineers moved to his side. Preston answered, "And if I say yes?"

"I'd probably believe you." He studied the young engineer, looking around as he realized Preston and Wilson were alone. "Why are you lads here?"

"We were looking for you and Fallon."

"Does anyone know you're here?"

Scott knew them better than they thought he did. The men looked at each other, giving him his answer without speaking a word. Scott shook his head. "Do you have any idea the danger you have placed yourselves in? Things are not stable down here. Who's in charge up there?"

"Mr. Bradbury."

"And?"

"His orders were for everyone to follow their normal routine as closely as possible while he prepared search teams."

"And what part of your normal routine is this?"

"Dammit, Scotty, if we waited for him to get his act together…"

"He is following established protocol, Mr. Preston. Protocol _I _established."

"Yes, sir."

Scott rested his head back and closed his eyes. His head still throbbed mercilessly. "But I am glad to see you lads."

The two young men looked at each other and smiled. Preston stepped away as he said, "We should go and get a medical transport team. Things were pretty stable along to route we took."

Kincaid started to consent, but Scott interrupted her. "No."

"But…"

"No," he repeated. "I can walk."

Preston looked skeptical. "You're kidding, right?"

"If the route is stable, I'll be fine. My head is throbbing, but I don't walk on my head. With some support, I can make it out of here without bringing anyone else into the area. And I can have a look at the damage firsthand."

Kincaid shook her head. "You're impossible."

"I know." He winked at her. "Help me up, lads."

* * *

McCoy fussed and scolded all four engineers when they came into Sickbay. "You should have called for a transport," he admonished.

"He wouldn't let us," Preston answered.

McCoy knew well the circumstances the junior engineers had found themselves in. Scott could be a very stubborn man. He was surprised, however, that Kincaid couldn't convince him to wait for a transport. She could talk him into most things he didn't want to do. He got Scott settled, using a loaded hypo to convince him to stay where he was. Then he motioned for Kincaid to follow him. In the outer room, he leaned against a desk and looked at her. Even disheveled and bloody, she was beautiful. "Why didn't you make him wait for a transport?"

"He didn't want one and he wasn't going to be convinced to wait for one."

"Come on, Fallon. You can convince him to do just about anything."

She laughed. "You give me too much credit, Len. Besides, I didn't want an argument. We'd both been through enough. Ray and Carl supported most of his weight."

He sighed, understanding why Scott caved as often as he did when she pressed an issue. He squeezed her shoulder. "You're cleared for duty, my dear, but I would prefer it if you took the rest of the day off at least."

"No can do, my dear doctor. Not with the likes of Beauregard running around. I have my responsibilities."

"You two are so much alike it gives me ulcers."

She laughed. "He wasn't hurt as badly as it seemed, was he?"

"He was lucky. A concussion and a couple of rib fractures, some lacerations. Nothing serious. He'll be back where he belongs, fussing over those damn machines, come morning."

"Call me when he wakes up," she requested as she headed for the door.

McCoy nodded. "I promise."

Bracing herself to deal with Beauregard, she left Sickbay and headed for engineering.


	11. Concessions

Early the next morning, Scott returned to Engineering after spending a restful night in Sickbay. He walked a little stiffly, and his face was bruised, but he was fine otherwise. Ten minutes later, Kincaid arrived to find him comparing the power and temperature readings of relays through which she had rechanneled power. She approached him and laid a hand on his arm. "Good morning. How do you feel?"

He felt his heart rate increase. _Damn!_ How could she do that so readily, without even trying? He felt off balance again. He took a deep breath and tried to turn his mind to his engines. "I'm fine. A little sore and a wee bit of a headache, but McCoy's potions take care of that pretty well. What's going on around here?"

"We're being towed in to Starbase 8. The explosion took out the warp drive, which you knew, and damaged the impulse drive. We had some fluctuations overnight, so I rerouted power to stabilize the system. It's been fine ever since."

"Nice job. What about Beauregard?"

"I restricted her from the section. She went running to the captain, but he backed me up. I talked with Admiral Donovan, too. He wants to talk with you, but I gave him your regards and let him know you wanted this experiment off your ship. He's going to send the inspectors back to review their equations before he chooses another guinea pig."

"I have no problem being a guinea pig…but only if I have full control of the situation--and the people involved."

"You're barking at the wrong tree, sir. I'm on your side."

"I know."

"I hope I wasn't interfering or overstepping my boundaries."

He shook his head. "I made my position perfectly clear to you. You are the chief engineer when I cannot be. You did just what you were supposed to do. And I'm proud of you."

She smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"And I want to thank you. Again."

"For what?"

They walked together toward his office. "Lieutenant, the past few days have been difficult. You have weathered them with grace and dignity, and you've kept your chief out of a great deal of trouble."

She smiled, but she noticed his return to formality. "That's my job, sir."

He returned her smile, but then became serious. "I want to see Beauregard."

"I'm not sure she really wants to see you. She had some choice words for us both when I restricted her. But I'll send for her."

She followed him into his office and studied him carefully as he eased himself carefully into the chair behind his desk. She leaned against the desk beside his chair. She wanted to be close to him for a minute. "You look better." She touched his bruised cheek. "But you're still a sight."

"I don't doubt it."

They held each other's gaze and she lightly stroked his arm. She was beginning to understand him, how he was able to retreat from his emotions when they threatened to overwhelm him. She was also coming to realize his true feelings, the feelings that came through when he was distracted by pain…or alcohol. She understood that he needed time and she was willing to give him that. She would wait as long as it took. She had an idea of his true feelings, the feelings he tried to keep hidden from her, and she was willing to give him his space…up to a point. Discretion was an absolute must in the duty section, but elsewhere, at other times, he never objected to her closeness.

She smiled at him, then said softly, "I'll send for Beauregard."

She started to turn away but he closed his hand over her arm. He hesitated a moment longer. He wanted desperately to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he thought the better of it. Once again, his reason won out over his impulse--and his heart. "Go ahead," he said softly. He turned her arm loose and, after another moment's hesitation, she walked off and left the room. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He could no longer deny it. He needed her, he wanted her, but most of all, he loved her. God help him, but he did, and this was love on a level he had never felt before in his life. It was unsettling for him, but at the same time, it was an emotional high unlike any he'd ever had before. It was a good feeling and he found himself hoping she felt the same way.

* * *

Half an hour later Kincaid returned to the chief engineer's office with Beauregard. The inspector glared at Scott as he said, "Good afternoon, Inspector."

The sight of his bruised face seemed to have no effect on her at all. "Hello, Commander."

He was not looking for sympathy, not by any stretch of the imagination. Kincaid stood off to the side, out of the way. Beauregard glared at her. "Need a bodyguard, Commander?"

"Not at all. The lieutenant is here at my request to prevent you from fabricating any charges against me."

"Now why would I do that?"

"I don't know, Inspector, but you already have, so she stays. I really don't care if you like it or not. This is my office, and you follow my rules." He leaned back in his chair and glared at her. "Ah, but you really aren't very good at following rules, are you?"

"That depends on whether I agree with them or not."

"Oh, I see. You don't follow rules you don't agree with." Kincaid could tell he was getting angry, and she was glad when he changed the subject. "I hope you are satisfied, Inspector. I could have made this work, but you refused to let me. You have spent the past week prowling around my section, looking for problems. Did you find anything, anything at all, not fully functional in this section?"

"No, Commander, I did not."

"So tell me, then, what caused that explosion that could have killed me and my first engineer?"

"I'm afraid that was my fault, wasn't it? Because I didn't follow your recommendations…"

"Did Lieutenant Kincaid tell you about her conversation with Admiral Donovan?"

"Yes, she did."

"And she told you about my orders."

"Yes, she did."

"Are there any questions?"

"No, Commander. But let me tell you this. I do not like you. I still think you are arrogant and cocky. But I do regret not listening to you. Whether I like you or not, you are a good engineer, a very good engineer. And that's the only concession I will make." She wasn't about to let him know she thought he was the best engineer she had ever worked with. No, he was cocky enough. She had not believed he could be as good as his reputation said he was, but she was wrong. He was that good, maybe better. And he was an excellent chief, involved and concerned with his people and their well being. But she was not about to tell him that, either. She did not tolerate being wrong.

Scott was stern. "I am not asking for any concessions from you. The only thing I will insist upon is an apology to Lt. Kincaid. I am the chief engineer. It's my job to lay my life on the line. It was with great reluctance that I risked her life, too, but I had no choice. The fault for that was yours. You were also rude and abusive toward her, and she did nothing to warrant that from you. So I think an apology is in order."

Beauregard stared at him. He could see the dark anger brewing in her eyes. But for once she didn't argue. She turned to look at Kincaid, furious. Through clenched teeth she said "I apologize for any mistreatment you may have suffered or perceived from me, lieutenant."

Without another word, she headed for the door. Scott called her back. "Oh, Inspector?" When she turned, he continued, "Your restriction from my section remains in effect for the remainder of your stay on this ship."

She glared at him, anger getting the best of her. "Go to hell, Commander."

Then she was gone. Kincaid stared after her in disbelief. "Did she just…?"

"That she did." She looked at him, and he smiled at her. He shrugged, "We can't please everyone, can we?"

"I guess not."

She walked over to the desk and sat in the chair across from him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Head hurt?"

"Like hell."

"Why don't you drop by to see McCoy? Get something for the pain."

"Maybe later."

"Scotty…"

He met her eyes, allowing himself to get lost for a moment. "It's all right, lass."

She leaned toward him. "We are being towed to Starbase 8, the engines are a mess, and there is nothing for us to do. Go to sickbay and get some medicine, then go to bed. Rest and recover. There's no reason for you to be down here. Take the chance to get well. Please."

Her hand reached across the desk and settled on his. Gently, he ran his fingers across the back of her hand. "All right, lass. I'll go…but only if I have your word you will call me if anything happens."

She laughed lightly and said, "Nothing is going to happen."

"Probably not. But you never know. Promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

He rose from his chair but still hesitated, so she stepped to his side. "Everything will be fine. Go on."

Hesitantly, he turned his head and softly kissed her. Then he smiled. "Ok," he said quietly. "You win."


	12. A Face From the Past

Several nights after they arrived at Starbase 8, Scott and Kincaid enjoyed a quiet, relaxed dinner in the base's recreation area. They were relaxed and comfortable, enjoying their meal and each other. As they were finishing their meal, they were approached by Preston and Wilson. Preston slid into a chair and shuffled it closer to Kincaid, leaning against her as he asked, "So, how's it going?"

She laughed and Scott smiled, nodding Wilson toward the remaining vacant chair. Kincaid nudged Preston. "You are impossible."

"I know," he answered. "Always keep 'em guessing."

He returned his chair to its proper place and asked, "Anybody up for a game of pool?"

Scott smiled at the junior engineer. "Not tonight."

"'Nuff said. We'll be on our way. We just wanted to say hi."

He got to his feet but Scott grabbed his arm, getting his attention. The chief engineer's face was very serious. He knew Preston had already been drinking. "Watch it, Ray. No fights. Do you understand me?"

Preston sobered for a moment. "Yes, sir."

Scott looked at Wilson, who shrugged his shoulders before Scott could speak. "I have tried to stop every single fight he starts, Chief. I'll do my best."

Scott nodded and the two men took off. Kincaid looked around the room. "Let's hang out here for a bit, Scotty."

Her request surprised him, but he nodded. "If you want to, that's fine with me."

"I'd like to watch Ray and Carl play pool," she suggested, rising from the table and holding her hand out to him.

With a smile, he slid his hand into hers and they left the dining area.

* * *

They found Preston and Wilson in one of the rec areas. Scott and Kincaid found an empty booth near the pool tables and sat down unnoticed by the two officers they were watching. Scott kept note of how much Preston was drinking and he noticed that Wilson had not been drinking at all. He leaned toward Kincaid. "Carl is expecting trouble."

She nodded. "I think so, too. He can't control Ray. That's part of the reason they get into so much trouble together. Carl gets dragged into it and then keeps his mouth shut about it. I have never seen Carl start anything."

Scott's mind went back to another leave, fifteen years earlier, to a fight he didn't start but could have avoided. He'd not been sober enough to use his better judgment. His best friend—his own Carl Wilson—had tried to stop him. Like Carl, though, Tex was never able to rein him in, but he always stood by him. Returning to the present he saw the puzzled face of the woman across from him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded his head. "I'm fine." She didn't look convinced. "I'll tell you later."

* * *

A few hours passed quietly until someone approached Preston and sneered, "Well, well, well, look who it is."

Preston looked up from his shot. "Oh, look, Carl. Stuffy here has come back for more."

Scott swore. He knew the man who was harassing Ray. He got to his feet and approached the men. "Barney Robertson," he said in a voice that was distinctly not friendly.

Preston and Wilson looked surprised to see their chief. Robertson turned quickly, his eyes narrowed. "Scott," he spat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What's it been, Barney? Six years?"

"Something like that. What are you doing here?"

"We came in for repairs," Scott answered vaguely. "What are you doing here?"

"Shore leave."

Scott nodded. "What ship are you with now?"

"The Carolina."

"She's a good ship, good captain. Now I'd hate to have to have a talk with Captain Martin about one of his engineers. And I know Chief Barton would hate to hear what I have to tell him. Wouldn't he, Barney?"

"That was a long time ago, Scott!"

"Not so long that I've forgotten some broken bones and a collapsed lung."

"That wasn't my fault!"

"The hell it wasn't."

He took a few unsteady steps toward Scott, clearly disturbed to have run into him. "If you hadn't…"

"If I hadn't, you'd be dead."

Robertson stopped, his face a kaleidoscope of emotion. Preston was leaning on his cue stick. Wilson had moved to position himself between Preston and Robertson. Others who had been milling around sensed the tension in the air and anticipated trouble. They had backed off, clearing room in case there was a fight. Robertson took several more steps toward Scott, stopping just in front of the senior officer. "Do you know how many promotions you cost me?"

"I cost you nothing. You were the coward who ran."

Robertson was furious. His face was red and his fists were clenched. Scott stood his ground. "It seems to me you were about to cause some trouble with these lads here who were minding their own business. Now they don't need any trouble and if I remember rightly, you find enough trouble on duty without compounding things while you're on leave."

"Why do you care about a couple of pub rats?"

"They just happen to be my pub rats. And I think it would be in your best interest, and theirs, if you just left them alone. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to go back to your quarters until your ship leaves in the morning."

Robertson tensed and Scott remembered him well enough to know what he was planning. "I wouldn't if I were you."

Although reason had long ago left Robertson's brain, he had learned some things over the years. He seemed to relax and turn away. Scott didn't move. He didn't expect the punch that was thrown at his head, but he had also been in enough fights to know not to let down his guard. Instead of a full hard punch to the head, Robertson's fist delivered a glancing blow, although the force behind it stunned Scott for a second.

Kincaid jumped out of the way, moving toward Preston and Wilson. "Don't you dare!" she ordered the two men. She knew if they got involved there would be a major brawl, which was just what Scott wanted to avoid.

Robertson's fury drove him to throw blind punches and the alcohol in his system spurred him on. Scott, cold sober and very angry, tried to avoid Robertson's blows without throwing any of his own. Everyone else stayed out of it, and although Preston was chomping at the bit, he obeyed Kincaid. Security entered after a few minutes and they grabbed the two men, just after Robertson grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and slammed it across Scott's face. The chief engineer staggered and dropped to his knees. Kincaid saw blood drip onto the floor but she stayed where she was and warned her two charges to stay put as well. Robertson continued to struggle against the guards that held him while two more guards gently pulled Scott to his feet and supported him between them. After a minute, the dazed senior officer had recovered enough of his faculties to wave off the men, who released him. A few minutes passed before a tall officer entered the room. His temples were grey, his light eyes bright. He crossed to the group and looked at Robertson. Then he looked at Scott, and his eyes filled with surprise and recognition. He also noticed that, while two security guards flanked the officer, they did not hold him. He allowed himself a smile and held out his hand. "It's been a long time, Scotty. How are you?"

Scott shook the captain's hand. "Fine, Captain. And you?"

"No complaints. What happened here?"

"Maybe it's better if you hear it from someone else." He looked at Kincaid. "Captain, this is Lt. Kincaid, my first engineer. Lieutenant, this is Captain Benjamin Martin. Tell the captain what happened."

Scott moved off and sat down, wiping at the blood that ran down his face. Damn! The security guards stayed with him. Preston and Wilson moved around and slid into the booth with him as Kincaid told Martin without embellishment exactly what had happened.

Preston leaned forward. "You okay, Chief?"

Scott looked at the young man. "I'm fine, lad."

Scott felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Kincaid, then beyond her at Martin, who was quietly talking with other witnesses. He got to his feet, gently squeezing her arm as he moved past her and she slid in to talk to Preston and Wilson. The security guards had left him and moved over to stand ready near Robertson. Martin had finished talking with the other witnesses who verified Kincaid's account. "You need medical to take a look at you, Scotty."

"I will, sir." He cringed inwardly to think about McCoy's reaction. Martin continued to look at him and his captain's persona fell away. His manner became familiar and friendly. "Didn't lay a hand on him? I am impressed. Ten years ago you would have killed him."

Scott laughed. "Six years ago I wanted to. He nearly got me killed on a landing party mission."

Martin sighed. "You are hell on leave, but you are a solid officer. I've followed your career. I always knew you'd make a name for yourself as an engineer. And you've matured into one hell of an officer. When you were mine, I would never have predicted it, even after the Republic disaster. I am proud of you…and a small part of me likes to think I had a hand in making you the man you are."

"I'd allow you that," Scott smiled.

Martin nodded toward Robertson. "What should I do with him?"

"That's your decision, Ben. I have my own troublemakers to deal with." He nodded toward Preston and Wilson. "They're the reason I was even here." He paused. "They're just like Tex and I were."

Martin laughed heartily. "Son, I cannot say how glad I am to hear that you're dealing with a younger version of yourself and Rivers."

"Thanks," Scott answered without enthusiasm, but there was a smile in his eyes.

Martin waved at the security guards. "Take him to Commander Toyama and tell him I'll be along shortly."

"Yes, sir."

"I've had enough of him. Can't do his job and can't stay out of trouble. At least you always did your job and then some." He sighed. "Do you remember that first shore leave after you were finally returned to duty? That poor hapless ensign you beat the tar out of?"

"I remember."

"I came down hard on you."

"That you did."

"But you know…you changed after Rivers was killed. I was actually relieved when you got into that fight. All the spirit in you hadn't died with them, like some of the doctors had feared. Like I had feared."

"That was a hard time," Scott admitted.

Martin squeezed his shoulder and extended his hand. Scott shook his hand warmly. "It's been good to see you again, Ben."

"And I am very glad to have run into you, Scotty. I have never doubted you had the ability to get to where you are now. I wondered if you had the discipline, and I'm glad to find out that you did." He nodded toward Kincaid. "You have a very good officer there."

Scott smiled fondly. "I know. Take care of yourself, sir."

"You, too, son."

Martin left the rec area to deal with his problem officer and Scott slid into the booth beside Kincaid, who was looking at him oddly. He frowned. "What?"

"You were on the Republic."

Scott frowned and looked down at his hands. "Aye. I was."

"No wonder you don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry."

Preston asked, "Did we miss something? What about the Republic?"

"What do you know about her, Ray?" Kincaid answered.

Scott wasn't sure he could do this. The memories, while not fresh, still haunted him. Preston shook his head. "I know she was lost with almost all hands, what, fifteen years ago?"

Scott nodded. "Almost fifteen years ago."

Kincaid kept her eyes on Scott. "What were you, Scotty? A lieutenant?"

"Aye. A junior lieutenant. Just about the highest ranking officer left on the ship."

Kincaid gasped. "That was you." There was a measure of awe and amazement in her voice.

He nodded. "Aye," he said in an odd tone of voice. No, he couldn't do this. "Excuse me, please." He leaned over and gently kissed Kincaid's cheek, then rose and left.

She watched him go. "What?" Preston demanded. "What happened? Why's he upset?"

Kincaid leaned back. "I don't know the details. Few people do because the records have been sealed. I know what the papers reported and what I found out from the officers I knew. The Republic was attacked in deep space by an entity of some sort. That entity had attacked a number of other ships and bases and it rendered them lifeless. No one really knows what it was, but its attack on the Republic wasn't complete. They managed to destroy the entity before it killed off everyone. Less than a hundred crew members survived, few of them officers. A junior lieutenant had assumed command during the final assault because he was the highest ranking command level officer left on the ship."

"Scotty?"

"Yes." She looked toward the door he had disappeared through. She had no doubt he had scars on his soul from that. "If I remember right he was badly injured. I vaguely remember reading that he survived his injuries but they weren't sure he'd ever be able to return to active duty."

"Obviously he did."

"Obviously, but can you imagine what he went through? Ray, that would be like you having to assume command because the rest of us, including Carl, were gone. He had a friend who was as close to him as Carl is to you. He lost him in that attack."

"Geez…when you put it that way. Hell, no wonder he wants to forget it."

"Do you really think he's forgotten it?"

Preston shook his head. "No, I don't."

Kincaid sat back and looked at her friends. "He might be mad at you because you were going to cause trouble, but you didn't."

"Only because he got to the bastard first."

Kincaid laughed. "Maybe so. But you did follow my orders to stay put. That's what will save you this time." She smiled fondly at both men. "I've got to go. You boys behave yourselves for the rest of the night, ok? Promise me?"

"We promise. We'll be good."

She smiled fondly as she slid out of the booth and walked away.


End file.
